PHOTO CAPTION: 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).(Contributed photo)
PROVINCE OF 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.
Mariveles Mayor Ace Jello Concepcion said, “The additional power supply and stronger internet will greatly improve how our students learn, prepare, and dream for their futures.” Adding that partnerships with the private sector, like what they 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,” Mayor Concepcion said.
Meanwhile, DepEd officials lauded the project, as BAIS Principal Mariquita Banal said, “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.”
For Dr. Carolina Violeta, DepEd Bataan Schools Division Superintendent, the 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 are sources of inspiration and catalysts for educational transformation,” Violeta said.
AuroraPH began in 2024, powering 11 schools and benefiting nearly 2,000 students from Benguet, Bataan, Cebu and Davao City to date. AuroraPH targets 100 schools by end-2025 and 300 by 2027.
“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.
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.
