The Manila Electric Company (Meralco), through its corporate social development arm One Meralco Foundation, has turned over 1,000 solar lamps to 68 parishes under the Archdiocese of Lipa as part of its community support initiatives.

The turnover ceremony was held in Taal, Batangas, and was led by Meralco Chief External and Government Affairs Officer Atty. Arnel D. Casanova and Meralco Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer and One Meralco Foundation President Jeffrey O. Tarayao, with parish representatives in attendance.

Casanova said the initiative aims to support communities by providing sustainable and reliable lighting to local institutions.

“This initiative reaffirms Meralco’s commitment to empowering communities with sustainable and reliable energy solutions. By providing solar lights to different parishes, we hope to support their invaluable work that supports the Batangas community,” Casanova said.

Meralco said the distribution of solar lamps is part of its broader partnership with the Archdiocese of Lipa, which has also included the distribution of Noche Buena packages and the lighting of the façade of the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Sebastian in Lipa City during the Christmas season.

For his part, Tarayao highlighted the role of electricity in community development.

“At One Meralco Foundation, we believe that electricity is an enabler of progress and development. Our support to different parishes strengthens our ongoing advocacy to help uplift lives by spreading the light,” Tarayao said.

Meralco noted that it currently serves parts of Batangas, particularly Sto. Tomas City, Batangas City, and the municipality of San Pascual, where some of the beneficiary parishes are located.

How can small-scale, off-grid energy solutions like solar lamps help strengthen community institutions in areas where reliable power access remains a challenge?

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