It takes a village to light the future of children

Davao Light, Aboitiz Foundation help last-mile schools reach for their dreams through Aurora PH

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For decades, Sitio Kabangbang in the Marilog District of Davao City remained unenergized, leaving the remote community without electric lights nor a network connection. Hours away from the city proper, Kabangbang's lone elementary school - where its people pin its hopes and aspirations for the future previously had to rely on gas lamps when the sky grew dark.

"Hinimok kami ng aming anak na itayo ang paaralan para hindi maranasan ng aming mga anak ang aming pinagdaanan ang kawalan ng kaalaman," shared Matigsalog Datu Ariston Mabayao, the local chieftain. (Our children urged us to build a school so that they won't experience what we went through-a lack of knowledge).

"Pangarap namin ito para sa aming mga anak. Sabi ng apo ko, gusto niyang matuto. Makapagtrabaho siya o makatapos ng pag-aaral," he added. (This is our dream for our children. My grandchild said that he wanted to learn. To work and to finish his studies).

Kabangbang Elementary's modest building only has two classrooms which are made to accommodate more than 90 students from different year levels. Having to make do with what they have, its teachers multitask, catering to students of different grades at the same time. Sometimes, they teach different classes sharing just one classroom that is divided by a bookshelf.

Adding to the struggles, the students also have to walk some miles from their unenergized homes to a school that also had no electricity. According to the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd), there are 1,562 similar public schools across the country that operate without electric power.

"Pahirapan po, especially sa pag-provide ng mga instructional materials kasi hindi kami makapagprint [dahil walang kuryente.

Ang ginagawa ng teacher, sulat sa blackboard, sulat sa Manila paper," said Marima Guillen, a teacher of Kabangbang Elementary School.. (It's hard, especially in providing instructional materials because we can't print without electricity.