With extreme heat temperatures reaching up to 47 degrees Celcius in some areas in Samar, the occasional blackouts in the region is just enough to push the public on edge, and the students to lose focus on their classes.
Thankfully for Busay Primary School in Busay, Mercedes, Eastern Samar, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Eastern Samar District Engineering Office (ESDEO) recently completed the construction of a new two-classroom school building which will be powered by solar energy.
According to Jayson Espeso, DPWH Eastern Samar Information Officer, the new buildings in Busay are not the first solar powered classrooms they were able to finish. From 2022-2023 they were able to complete five solar classrooms across the region.
"The idea of including solar panel in a school building projects Kun an school building po nahimumutang harayo hiton poblacion ngan makuri iton source hiton kuryente ngan Kun an budget for school building meada sobra, gindudugngan nira hin item of works for solar pane," Espeso said
However, he also noted that the top consideration for these projects are really the availability of funds and if it is deemed highly necessary in the area.
In the long run
While solar power may seem the most reliable source of alternative electricity for many in the region, maintenance has also been a recurring problem for many promising projects in the region.
While the school may have been oriented towards the basic functions of the solar panels, Espeso admitted that they lack the proper training and awareness for the proper management of the technology.
As one journalist pointed out, it would be a shame if the said schools would end up like the solar garden at the rooftop of the evacuation center in Tacloban city which was donated by the United Nations Development Programme.
"This doesn't look promising. The solar garden on the rooftop of an evacuation center in Tacloban that was donated by UNDP could no longer be used because the Tacloban city government doesn't know how to run it. Solar technology is not as simple as we think and even a one-week training may not be sufficient. Masasayang la."
Photo Courtesy : Radyo Pilipinas News/ Fb Post - Radyo Pilipinas Borongan
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