Earlier this year, the Social Transformation (ST) Team flew to Pamilacan island, Bohol to conduct a community visit and survey. The specific goals of the visit were to share with the community the findings of our Social Impact Study conducted in 2018, revisit the objectives of WeGen when the company first embarked on its solar PV project on the island, and to open discussions on the need to expand the system to match the increasing electricity needs of the residents.
The four-day visit began with courtesy calls with various community officials, leaders and members of the Pamilacan Church, Pamilacan Credit Cooperative, Pamilacan Barangay Council, Pamilacan Sangguniang Kabataan, and the Pamilacan Barangay Health Workers.
On the first day, the team held a group discussion with 26 members of the aforementioned groups. Discussed were the objectives of the visit (and the meeting itself); the team’s scheduled activities; and the issues and concerns raised by the residents since the solar PV system was installed in 2017.
WeGen embarked on the project “Kahayag sa Pamilacan” to serve as proof-of-concept for a sustainable distributed energy resources (DER) project that would:
• Increase the local community’s access to clean and reliable electricity;
• Improve the quality of livelihood, education, and tourism on the island;
• Support the development of the skills of local volunteers in installing solar PV systems; and
• Increase the local community’s awareness on renewable energy and climate change.
There was consensus that the first three objectives were met and livelihood opportunities on the island had increased since the solar PV system was installed.
Meeting the fourth objective, however -- increasing the local community’s awareness on renewable energy and climate change --- needs further work. This was revealed when community residents shared concerns about the lack of rain, and among the reasons for this, they alleged, the presence of solar panels on the school roof.
The proposal to expand the solar PV system was received positively. Everyone agreed that the solar PV system has brought many good changes on the island, and having 24/7 access to electricity greatly improved people’s lives, bringing many conveniences and income opportunities.
Here’s one of the stories of the people whose lives WeGen’s project in Pamilacan has helped improve:
Cactus Hobbyist Richard
At 31 years old, Richard Tria has found an interesting, income-generating hobby: growing and selling cacti and succulents.
Different varieties of cacti grow on Pamilacan because of the arid soil and the plentiful sunshine, and while most people on the island have not really considered the hardy plants that can grow as tall as an ipil-ipil tree as anything more than weeds or as garden ornaments, Richard found that he had a knack for growing them.
Because of 24/7 electrification, Richard can now access the internet whenever he wants.
“Dahil may kuryente na kahit umaga dito sa isla, naging mas madalas akong makapag-Facebook at mag-check ng kung ano-anong sites. Nakakita ako at sumali sa isang FB group ng mga cactus growers; natuwa ako kaya sinubukan ko na ring gawin yung mga sinasabi sa mga tutorials,” he said.
(“I can use Facebook more often now that there’s electricity even in the daytime; I was able to join a few FB groups of cactus growers and I thought I’d grow cacti myself. I looked up a few websites and followed the tutorials on how to grow the plants,” he said.)
Richard also monitors online stores recommended by his fellow cactus enthusiasts.
“Siyempre hindi naman ako laging makaluwas o makapunta sa malayo para bumili ng mga seeds. Buti na lang marami nang nagtitinda online ng mga seeds, paso, fertilizer; bumibili ako ng maramihan sabay-sabay pag nakaluwas ako sa bayan, o nagpapabili ako sa mga kakilalang lumuluwas – pinapakiusap ko na sila yung magbayad sa bangko o bayad center,” he shared.
(“I can’t go to the mainland all the time or go anywhere too far for the cactus seeds, so it’s great that there are now so many online vendors who sell cactus seeds, pots, fertilizer and the like. I buy different kinds of seeds all at one time, and then ask neighbors who are going to the mainland to pay for my purchases at the bank or payment center as a favor,” he shared.
Richard now has a garden of cactus plants and succulents of different varieties, and he sells them for P50 to P150 per plant, depending on size.
“Hindi naman ako nakapag-tapos ng pag-aaral, kaya mahirap ding maghanap ng kabuhayan, (“I wasn’t able to finish school, so it’s hard to find a good job,”) he shared. He found that he was not strong nor healthy enough to be a fisherman or tour operator, so he thought he’d learn other skills online.
“Yun nga, natuklasan ko yung pag-aalaga ng cactus. Masayang hobby naman, saka may mga bumibili din. Nakikipagpalitan ako ng tips kung paano sila palakihin dun sa mga members ng FB groups na sinalihan ko,” he said.
(“I found that that I was good at growing cacti. It’s a fun hobby, and I get to earn from it. I also enjoy the discussions in the FB groups– I exchange tips with other cactus growers,” he said.)
Richard doesn’t have a market in Pamilacan for his plants, but sometimes visiting tourists would see his plants growing in their clay or plastic pots and be charmed by them.
“Nakakapagbenta din, pero sa ngayon mas pinalalaki ko yung mga cactus ko para sa sarili ko kasi maganda silang tingnan. Parang achievement na rin kasi yung iba sinasabi na hindi sila nakakabuhay ng halaman, pero yung mga cactus na pinapalaki ko, malusog,” he said.
(“Sometimes people buy my plants, but I grow cactus for myself mostly because I think they’re quite beautiful and I enjoy the process. It feels like an achievement whenever I see how big they get there are people who say they can’t grow a plant to save their life,” he said.) #