TAGBILARAN CITY, May 19, (PIA)--Patience and sacrifice paid off for ten men from Pamilacan Island who volunteered for the installation of the island's newest clean renewable power system.
That means, not only are they considered heroes of the island, the ten men have the potential of future jobs care of the company WeGen Distributed Energy Philippines which handed to them the standard company certifications as solar installers.
The ten volunteers helped in setting up of the P10 million solar facility that would provide daytime power to the island otherwise served by a diesel generator serving power from 6:00 PM to midnight.
They rendered 4-weeks technical training and "free labor" to hand carry the 135 photo voltaic (PV) cells, 60 storage batteries, inverter and other components of the solar power system donated by the German Government and a private company called WeGen, revealed WeGen Philippines Chief Executive Officer Atty Julito Sarmiento, during the facility hand-over, May 18.
They had to carry the equipment on their backs from the boats to Pamilacan National High School a kilometer away, suffer blistering summer heat retrofitting the rooftop of the school building so they can install the solar panels and string up the wires to the powerhouse, added the WeGen Philippines chief who attended the hand-over of the completed facility on his birthday.
A part of the volunteer work however is an intensive technical training on the installation of the solar power system, a task the group undertook and successfully hurdled.
During the hand-over of the facility to local officails and the local electric cooperative, Atty Sarmiento also reveled the Pamilacan project, which he called Kahayag sa Pamilacan, is the company's showcase proving that off-grid communities can access clean and renewable and sustainable energy while allowing the community to be part producers of the power.
While WeGen and the German Government donated the project, the community power association decided to put in a monthly contribution as trust fund which they will use to expand and maintain the service as well as put up livelihood offers of members.
Pamilacan, an island 18 kilometers off Baclayon has been served by a diesel power generator set which provides service from 6 PM to midnight.
Its distance and the strong currents separating it from Bohol mainland as well as its less than 2000 population makes laying submarine cables less economically viable.
But WeGen noted that the best solution to address the electricity needs of the island is through the use of its patented distributed solar energy which provides fast installation, with clean, reliable renewable and maintenance free energy.
And by giving free training and certification to its volunteers, WeGen has just given ten men in the island with the necessary skills to allow them to serve WeGen in its future projects in Bohol and elsewhere in the country.
According to Atty Sarmiento, after Pamilacan, Boholano investors who wish to have sustainable green has invited WeGen to put up solar power systems in several Panglao resorts and in all municipal halls in Bohol's second District.
To this, the ten Pamilacan volunteer solar installers led by Barangay Chairman Crispo Valeroso may have just found additional incomes.(rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
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