Babatngon pupils among 73,000 beneficiaries of NGCP Balik Eskwela 2010 campaign

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
June 25, 2010

TACLOBAN CITY  –  The pupils and the respective families of Governor E. Jaro Elementary School in Babatngon, Leyte are among the 73,000 happy beneficiaries from 174 public school in selected barangay across the country, of the Balik Eskuwela 2010 campaign of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

The NGCP Balik Eskwela 2010 is set to be in Governor E. Jaro Elementary School at 10:00 o’clock in the morning of June 25 to distribute school supplies consisting of a school bag with 10 notebooks and 3 pencils, to the elementary pupils.

The privately-owned power transmission utility and system operator selected the schools from among the thousands of barangays throughout the country where transmission towers, lines, substations and other NGCP facilities are located.

Ceremonial handover programs will be held simultaneously on June 25 in the following areas: Pila, Laoag City in North Luzon); Bibincahan, Sorsogon and Oas, Albay in South Luzon; Governor Jaro, Babatngon, Leyte in Visayas; and  Cabligan, Davao; Jasaan and Aplaya, Misamis Oriental in Mindanao. Distribution of school supplies began on June 15, 2010, the first day of the new schoolyear.

“Balik Eskwela” aims both to support students and their families who may not afford to provide for a few school supplies and also to ensure the safety of children and other residents living in communities near transmission facilities.

To help minimize the incidence of electrocution and/or pilferage of tower and line parts in communities, NGCP volunteers at the "Balik Eskwela" activities will educate the children, teachers, and parents on line safety and security. The distributed notebooks carry similar information and reminders from NGCP.

NGCP is counting on the support of its partners in the power industry as well as residents and officials of host communities to ensure that reliable and safe electricity is delivered to all its customers.

Residents near transmission facilities are encouraged to help monitor and protect the towers and lines from theft and pilferage, which make the system vulnerable to power outages, as well as to observe established right-of-way easement areas to prevent grassfires, forest fires, electrocution and other accidents.

NGCP Ormoc Corporate Communications Officer Edna Legaspina in a report said, all measures are being done to ensure that transmission lines, substations and other facilities across the country are in good condition and able to deliver whatever power is available from the generating plants.