Through its Energy Secure Philippines (ESP) Project, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Ocentera Energy Corp. have joined forces to provide solar-powered indigenous-style boats to address the transportation needs of the island community in Coron, Palawan. 

The collaboration will launch a RE-powered “banca” designed to provide reliable ocean transportation while ensuring energy security for the benefit of its residents.

Funded by USD 34 million funding, the RE-powered banca represents a strategic initiative to enhance the local community’s access to clean and resilient energy solutions. 

According to USAID’s Environmental Officer Paul Brown, this inventive initiative will serve as a solution to accessibility issues of the hard-to-reach remote communities in Coron but using clean energy to power sustain it.

The project introduces an innovative concept of solar-based maritime transportation, featuring a cold storage cargo compartment to facilitate the transportation of critical supplies among the islands including the transportation of passengers and the provision of water taxi services to meet the growing demands of the citizens in the remote communities.

Photo courtesy of USAID