Gift from the Sun: Village in Sulu gets solar-powered water pump

By Rosa May V. de Guzman-Maitem

Correspondent

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/03132008/special_feature01.html

Tongkil, Sulu—People in this remote village in this southern Mindanao town are rejoicing these days, after finally finding the solution to their decades-old problem on water. It happened after a solar-powered water system was introduced to the barangay residents.  “Water is the life of man,” intones village chief Asaali Muhalli, a native of a tiny, far-flung barangay called Kahikukuk, located at the western part of Banguingui island of Tongkil, about a hundred kilometers from  Zamboanga City. He says, “For many years I lived on an island surrounded by water. Yet, ironically, our life is without drinking water?” Muhalli recalls how the wells in this quiet village were murky and unsafe. Parts of Tongkil shantytown had varied and ugly experiences with water in the last 100 years. People of the tiny mountain-island villages drank from the muddy catchments in their fields. In this famous arid part of the world, safe water is a precious commodity. That demand is a disheartening indication of Tongkil’s grave crisis with seeking safe drinking water. Tongkil is home to about 13,000 Sama-Banguingui natives, mostly Muslims, whose salaries cannot sustain even a simple lifestyle. They depend largely on coco production, seaweed farming and fishing to bring three square meals a day. Their only means of transportation to and from the islands are motorized pump boats, which double as the source of livelihood to some residents. Day after day, Muhalli, along with other Sama-Banguingui families, dream about having safe water for drinking. He tells funny stories about the kind of water they have, and talks endlessly about searching for safe drinking water on a day-to-day basis.  Village folks dig holes just about everywhere on the island so they can find water. “It is back-breaking work and a health risk. Water from these wells is usually murky, contaminated by sand and animal feces, too. Diseases such as diarrhea and cholera, carried in dirty water, affect many children in the village,” he notes. Gallons of water had to be regularly brought into the island, ferried by motorized pump boats from the neighboring Southern province of Basilan. Shipping costs each household P5 a gallon. Normally, one household consumes 10 gallons every day. Muhalli recalls, women and children had to fetch water from the volatile town of Maluso, Basilan—where the Abu Sayaff militants lurk. “This is the traditional way to find water, and people have been doing this for years.” Muhalli has a valid reason to worry.  As a father of an eight-month-old boy and a four-month unborn child, he wants his children spared from waterborne diseases. Three kids had died, according to health records. Muhalli, a teacher by profession for close to two decades, spends about $4 weekly, a large slice of his income, for a gallon of distilled mineral water, saying, “Safe water is as precious as my boy.” He buys bottled water from as far as Zamboanga City whenever grocery stores, 17 kilometers off Kahikukuk, run out of bottled water. Muhalli’s fear is valid. According to a study by the United Nations Development Program, more than 1 billion of the world’s 6 billion people do not have access to safe water. Water-borne diseases such as diarrhea kill far more people than HIV/AIDS and malaria combined. The difference is particularly stark for children: waterborne diseases kill five times as many children as HIV/AIDS. About 2.6 billion people worldwide have no effective sanitation. As a result, 2 million children die each year from unsafe water. Safe water and pollution-free future   IN 2003, after the Alliance for Mindanao Off-grid Renewable Energy (Amore) program set up the community’s first access to electricity using photovoltaic battery-charging stations, about 30 homes were lit up. Everyone rejoiced over the “stroke of luck.” Gone were the days when gas lamps illuminated the natives’ shacks. The stroke of luck continued. Last year, Amore installed the first-ever solar-powered water system in Kahikukuk to supply potable water to the entire village. The project consists of a confined well, a ¾-horsepower-capacity pump driven by 320-watt-peak solar photovoltaic power, an elevated reservoir with 8,000-liter capacity, and 1,000-kilometer pipeline with six tap stands.  It operates from 2 p.m. till 6 p.m.  The monthly fee charged per household is 50 centavos. The Amore water-systems program is supported by the US Agency for International Development, the Department of Energy, Mirant Philippines Foundation, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and Winrock International. Muhalli further explains: Amore offered the community a clean,  simple and  sustainable alternative. The water-pumping system requires no fuel deliveries, and needs very little maintenance. More important, a solar pump produces the most water when it is needed the most—when the weather is sunny and dry. “It’s Allah’s gift to us. He answered our prayers. Villagers are overwhelmed; clean water resources became a crisp talk of the town,” Muhalli relates. Those using the new solar-powered water system say they make a world of difference. “The water from the well is now very good. It’s clean and clear,” says Ernilisa Jurail, 26, a mother of four children. “You can’t compare them with our traditional wells,” she adds, as she pulls water from a tap stand. “Before, I had to walk 60 minutes to get water. I can waste a whole day just to fill two gallons, and even then the water is brown. I also had nothing clean to wear. I wash my clothes and take a bath just once a week,” implores Jurail. But now, she says the traditional wells have remained a strong memory of the past. “We only get water from the murky well for laundry use,” Jurail admits. In terms of infant health, there has been a reduced incidence of waterborne diseases like diarrhea, dysentery and cholera, according to Muhalli. Also, with less time for fetching water, families have bonded well. The time saved is now replaced by income-generating activities. Children are spending more time in school. Everyone now has some time to enjoy life. Muhalli and the rest of the villagers are aware that some parts of the country are experiencing a dry spell in an obviously rainy season. Though Muhalli is aware of the water shortage arising from the prolonged dry season, Sulu villagers are not panicking.  He said, “Here in Tongkil, as long as there is sun, we have enough water to drink.”

Heroes of the Environment: Filipino Islanders take on global warming

 Pangapuyan, Zamboanga City- The next time you think of helping prevent global warming, think about how even small acts can have significant results.  

The classic adage stands true for Tausugs and Samas seaweed farmers living in an island eight miles east of the southern city of Zamboanga where the major attraction in the community are high poles with solar panels.

 Laughter overflows among villagers after hearing that a simple island like Pangapuyan demonstrates a solution to the climate change crisis. “These are just some of the many things that one can do to help prevent carbon emissions. Just as humanity has the power to destroy the planet, mankind has the power to save it,” locals argue. 

 Since April 2004, residents here have every reason to celebrate life and the bounty of sun and sea. Residents are aware that the clean energy system from the solar power installed on their roofs results in significant savings on carbon dioxide global production. Even children take a stand that each of them must take action to slow down and eventually reverse global warming. “Through everyday awareness about our energy use we minimize CO2 emission,” declares 12-year-old Rafida Omar, a grade four pupil who does her simple and intelligent means to help save the environment. “I’ll go out and share by word of mouth that we are heroes of our time.” 

For three years now, households have depended on the sun for its glorious rays to light their tiny shacks at night and enjoy some of life’s simple pleasures. Income has doubled since the discovery of solar power as a source of electricity. In the dead of night, the 50 watt-peak solar home systems allow families to continue their work.  “We found the sun as our ally in improving lives,” fathers here say.

  Mitigate global warming 

Experts say that the largest source of greenhouse gases is electric power generation used worldwide.  “The typical home actually contributes more to global warming than the average car. This is because a large amount of the energy we use in our homes comes from power plants which burn fossil fuel to power our electric products,” Techie Cruz-Capellan of the Alliance for Mindanao Off-grid Renewable Energy Program (AMORE) say. Promoting the use of so-called green energy sources, Cruz-Capellan says, is the first order of the day. “The use of solar electricity produces no harmful carbon emissions,” Cruz-Capellan says. She adds that using solar panels rather than fossil fuels to power will help mitigate global warming. In 2007, AMORE has mitigated at least 2,255 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. “That’s small but holds significant impact in the global scene.”

 She also cited that the AMORE lighting system uses the familiar compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). A CFL bulb could mitigate up to 700 pounds of carbon dioxide over the bulb’s lifetime. “Not only does it come cheap, CFL bulbs last much longer and use only a quarter of the energy consumed by conventional bulbs. CFLs use 50-80% less energy than incandescent.”

 Giving the poor their rights 

AMORE had installed photovoltaic (PV) solar home systems in 30 households in Pangapuyan. On April 2004, 50 watt-peak solar powered lighting systems in the village were installed to power four compact fluorescent lamps, a black and white TV set, and a radio. There are also two streetlights at both ends of the small island, where children play and adults huddle together to talk about their plans for the future.

Each renewable energy (RE) system recipient first had to undergo basic load management and PV maintenance seminar to capacitate them on the proper use and care of the RE systems. Aside from this, trainings on organizational development, finance management and leadership had been provided by AMORE to develop the association’s capacity to operate, maintain and sustain the project.   

War against illiteracy 

Cruz-Capellan shares that “aside from poverty, another reason for the dismal state of education in Mindanao is the lack of basic facilities that would help uplift the quality of learning. Statistics show that schools in Mindanao have the highest drop-out rate in the country and consistently post the lowest functional literacy level.”In Pangapuyan Elementary School where many dreams were formed and died, AMORE also provided solar energy systems that power distance education facilities. To date, 102 schools all over Mindanao and at least 51,000 pupils have benefited from the distance education facilities which include a television set, DVD cassettes of educational programs and teaching modules.

Bel Amin, one of the three teachers in Pangapuyan, adds: “Electricity definitely makes a big difference in terms of giving better education for the children.” He adds that the global warming topic made his students “realize how a small act can be of something big to the environment. They now start to appreciate and value the solar home systems installed in their homes.”Amin, who uses distance education facilities that run on electricity from the solar power, is very happy that his pupils are more interested to attend classes.

“They are also ahead in learning compared to children in other schools in the island barangays of Zamboanga City,” he says.The facilities include a colored television set, DVD player, and video CDs of Hiraya Manawari, Mathtinik and other educational programs produced by ABS-CBN E-media.

“I like to watch the educational programs on TV,” mutters grade two pupil Rodek Jailani in Tausug dialect. Rodek is only 7 years old but he has mastered phonics and learned to read way ahead of his siblings. Omar recalls that she was always absent in school and had failing grades. “Now, I see to it that I’m first to go in because I want to watch the educational programs on TV,” she says. For Omar doing her homework at night is now possible. Omar’s house is one among many in Pangapuyan Island in Southern City of Zamboanga that benefits from a solar-powered battery system.  “It’s useful for us. Now, I can study my lessons and my parents even at night can do their household chores even at night,” Omar says.

I remember that “ I could not study my lessons before because we were just using kerosene wick lamp for our light in the evening. But now, we have electricity that comes from the sun,” she adds.  Like Omar, Alih Jailani, the sole Islamic preacher in the island, recalls how the kerosene lamp they used always blackened their wall and endangered the health of his kids by emitting black smoke. Amin believes that the increase in the number of enrollees this school year can be attributed to the education facilities given by AMORE. 

 “Children are now more interested to study and parents are now more inclined to send them to school because of the facilities,” says teacher Amin who handles grades four, five and six. “We used to have a high drop out rate. Even the stubborn ones are in school,” Amin adds. The teachers make sure that the viewing room where the TV and DVD are setup, comfortable, and conducive to learning. The Parents and Teachers Association help the school by repairing the walls and donning the room with educational posters.Norina Jailani, Rodek’s mother, shares: “I’m very happy that our children are learning better so we also help the teachers in the school.”  Norina grew up in Pangapuyan and sired her nine children here. Unlike her children, she did not finish grade school. This is why I try hard to keep them in school, I know this is the only way to give them a better future, she adds. “We are grateful that we are not dependent on kerosene lamp now. The solar energy is good because it’s renewable.”

 Thanks to the power of the sun, young kids like Rodek and Omar who live in far-flung and un-electrified villages are now learning the alphabet fast with the use of technology such as DVD and CD cassettes.Empowering the people  Now on its third year of using solar power, the community is serious to make the benefits long-lived by infusing sustainability mechanisms—the organizing of the community into Barangay Renewable Energy and Community Development Association or the so-called BRECDA. The BRECDA oversees the operation of the system, and collect the operations and maintenance fund (monthly tariff) for the system’s expansion, and link with government agencies and NGOs for development projects.   They are now enjoying the benefits of lighting and speak of a sense of security at night because of the streetlights, which are especially useful during their evening community gatherings. In the households energized by solar-powered battery, home-based livelihood activities could go on well into the night, while incidence of theft is becoming lower.  “People in Pangapuyan are more inclined to work together for their continued development now that we have a greater sense of security, permanence and hope,” says BRECDA Chair Khadafi Jailani. 

Amore is a cooperative partnership of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Mirant Philippines Foundation, Department of Energy, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and Winrock International. To date, it has energized 413 barangays in Mindanao or 12,000 households using solar and micro-hydro power systems.