Ang Pahayagan

BATAAN– Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. and Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower), through GNPower Mariveles Energy Center (GMEC) and GNPower Dinginin (GNPD), turned over an AuroraPH package to Biaan Aeta Integrated School (BAIS) in Mariveles, Bataan.

AuroraPH is the Aboitiz Foundation’s flagship education initiative, done in partnership with non-profit GivePower, private companies Starlink and Huawei, and the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

The project aims to bridge the digital and educational divide in last-mile schools by equipping them with sustainable power and internet access through a solar power system setup and Wi-Fi.

While the program typically targets off-grid schools, BAIS represents the first on-grid school to benefit from the initiative, further enhancing its existing infrastructure to reduce electricity costs and vastly improve internet connectivity for both students and teachers.

📸Some of the students performed an ethnic cultural dance to entertain the guests mid-ceremony.

“This support means everything to me, our teachers, and our learners. BAIS used to be an overlooked school, but now we can perform side-by-side with the rest,” said BAIS Principal Mariquita Banal. “The additional power supply and stronger internet will greatly improve how our students learn, prepare, and dream for their futures.”

“Partnerships with the private sector, like what we have with AboitizPower, can be transformative. BAIS, once a remote and overlooked school, now stands as a model of what’s possible when we work together,” said Mariveles Mayor Ace Jello Concepcion.

📸Mariveles Mayor Ace Jello Concepcion gave his message during the ceremony.

“Aboitiz Foundation and AboitizPower don’t just offer short-term help; they plant the seeds for long-term progress. The solar panels and enhanced internet connection they’ve provided are more than infrastructure—they’re sources of inspiration and catalysts for educational transformation,” added DepEd Bataan Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Carolina Violeta.

AuroraPH began in 2024, powering 11 schools and benefiting nearly 2,000 students from Benguet, Bataan, Cebu and Davao City to date.

“We want to help more and more schools. It’s a promise to illuminate pathways and unlock opportunities for both learners and educators,” said Aboitiz Foundation’s Impact Lead for Education Jowelle Ann Cruz, adding that AuroraPH targets 100 schools by end-2025 and 300 by 2027.

📸 DepEd Bataan Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Carolina Violeta (center) and BAIS Principal Mariquita Banal (2nd from right) present a Plaque of Appreciation to GMEC and GNPD leaders VP for CSV Andrea Madrid (2nd from left), RSM Manager Joseph Paolo Mendoza (rightmost), and RSM Senior Specialist Abigail Jacinto (leftmost).

Following the turnover, school personnel underwent an operations and maintenance training facilitated by a team from AdventEnergy, a retail energy arm of AboitizPower, to ensure the longevity and efficiency of the solar panels and internet system. Teachers will also undergo a financial literacy session conducted by City Savings Bank on managing personal and community finances called “Project Pera-parasyon.”

GMEC and GNPD are private limited partnerships. AboitizPower has a 78.3% effective partnership interest in GMEC and a 70% effective partnership interest in GNPD. (PR)

TOP 📸: AuroraPH package Turnover Ceremony. Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. and AboitizPower turn over an AuroraPH package to Biaan Aeta Integrated School. Mariveles Mayor Ace Jello Concepcion (15th from left), together with Biaan Aeta Integrated School Principal Mariquita Banal (14th from right) and DepEd Bataan Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Carolina Violeta (13th from right), accepted the donation from AboitizPower GMEC and GNPD Vice President for Corporate Services Andrea Madrid (12th from right) and Aboitiz Foundation Impact Lead for Education Jowelle Ann Cruz (11th from right).