The foundation arm of Cebu-based Vivant Corp. announced plans to expand its Renewable Energy for Livelihood and Youth (RELY) project in Coron, Palawan following the success of the project in three off-grid areas.
“Vivant Foundation continues to replicate its pilot off-grid solar energization project in Coron, Palawan, and aims to extend the project to one school annually,” said Vivant Foundation Executive Director Shem Jose Garcia.
The expansion would be known as Project Liadlaw, a combination of solar energization and the upgrading of the Electrical Installation and Maintenance (EIM) track to ensure proper maintenance and repair of the PV installation.
“We designed the project to be forward-looking, not only for the off-grid school but for students of the upgraded EIM who will graduate with knowledge and skills that are needed in the future of energy,” he said.
The EIM upgrade establishes a pool of students who will maintain the solar installation as part of their practical training.
Just recently, the P120-million Project RELY has completed the energization of 16 off-grid schools in Cebu, Bohol, and Palawan.
Project RELY was funded by the European Union and implemented through the partnership among non-profit organization sequa gGmbH of Germany, Vivant Foundation and Process-Bohol.
Project RELY had been awarded the Outstanding CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Project in Education and the Clean and Green Energy in the Europa Awards 2022 of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP).
The Europa Award for Clean and Green Energy is awarded to a company or undertaking that has helped the Philippines achieve its greenhouse reduction targets by promoting clean energy.
The CSR award, meanwhile, recognized Project RELY’s contribution to improving education by installing solar energy in off-grid and remote schools that not only makes classrooms conducive for learning, but also allows students access to essential learning tools like computers.
“We’re very proud of our accomplishments that recognize the project’s impact in more than one field, with one award for renewable energy and another for education, as we feel the strength of the project is that it doesn’t just address one issue,” said Garcia.
“We would really like to thank the European Union for the grant, which has allowed us to bring the project to more schools than we could do on our own. This also wouldn’t have been possible without a strong partnership with Sequa and PROCESS Bohol in a solid partnership where each of us brought our own strengths to the table that enabled us to complete the project despite the challenges of the pandemic.”
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(Published in BusinessMirror, 22 July 2022)
