The Department of Energy (DOE), led by Secretary Sharon S. Garin, has deployed a Mobile Energy System (MES) to Pag-asa Integrated School on Pag-asa Island, delivering reliable electricity to one of the country’s most remote off-grid communities.
This marks the second MES project of the Department in 2025, reflecting a strong commitment to energizing off-grid islands. The first MES was donated to Balabac Central School in Palawan.
The rapid-response power solution serves as a significant improvement to the island’s power situation: ensuring uninterrupted learning and supporting essential school and community services.
Secretary Garin, together with National Power Corporation (NPC) President Jericho Jonas B. Nograles, DOE Undersecretaries Felix William Fuentebella and Giovanni Carlo Bacordo, and Assistant Secretaries Lethel Alburo-Mejia and Mandy Romero, led the turnover of the MES to the school.
“This Mobile Energy System helps make sure no child is left behind. This technology completely changes how education functions on Pag-asa Island, ensuring that the children can have a safe, supportive learning environment without disruption,” Secretary Garin said.
The DOE, in coordination with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), donated lanterns (parol) crafted by TESDA training centers nationwide to the Pag-asa Island community, symbolizing light, learning, and shared national support.
Designed for rapid deployment, the Mobile Energy System is a solar-powered, trailer mounted unit equipped with battery storage and a hybrid on-grid/off-grid inverter.
It can be transported quickly to far-flung islands and disaster-affected areas, providing immediate electricity support when permanent power systems are unavailable or disrupted.
The deployment reflects the department’s push for practical, fast-moving energy solutions that directly improve daily life in geographically isolated communities—where a stable power supply can mean a child finishing homework after dark, a teacher conducting uninterrupted lessons, or a health worker keeping essential equipment running.
In a Malacañang press briefing on Tuesday, 16 December 2025, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro echoed this commitment, stating, “Sa administrasyon ni Pangulong Marcos Jr., lahat ng kabataan ay may aasahang maliwanag na kinabukasan.”
The DOE emphasized that the MES Program complements broader efforts to expand energy access, strengthen disaster response, and reduce reliance on costly imported fuel, particularly for off-grid and island communities.
Pag-asa Island is the largest Philippine-occupied feature in the West Philippine Sea and serves as the administrative, economic, and civilian hub of the Kalayaan Island Group.
It is home to a permanent Filipino community, with basic government services, infrastructure, and a functioning airstrip and beaching ramp that support both civilian and government operations.
Pag-asa Island falls under the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Kalayaan in the Province of Palawan. The island symbolizes the Philippines’ peaceful and continuous presence in the area, anchored on international and local law.
