VIVANT Foundation, in partnership with Isla Norte Power Corp. and Vivant Energy Corp., recently completed the upgrade of the electrical wiring of classrooms and offices in Puti-an Elementary School in Bantayan, Cebu.
Students from Bantayan Senior High School taking up the Electrical Installation and Maintenance (EIM) technical-vocational (tech-voc) track made the upgrade possible, which ensured the safety of students and faculty members of the said school. The activity provided an opportunity for EIM tech-voc students to be involved in actual wiring installation under the supervision of their instructor and an accredited contractor hired by Vivant.
"The teachers and students of Puti-an Elementary School are very thankful to Vivant for making our school safer. If not for this project, we would not have realized the danger of having substandard wires," said School Principal Preachy Cometa.
Vivant Foundation Executive Director Shem Jose Garcia says: "It gives us joy to see that senior high school students of Bantayan Senior High School taking up the tech-voc track are able to do their hands-on training through this activity. The Vivant Foundation will continue to replicate this project because we learned that many public schools in the country have substandard electrical wiring systems that are unsafe for students and teachers."
An assessment of the old electrical wiring system at Puti-an Elementary School revealed that its classrooms did not have circuit breakers and that substandard wire sizes caused low voltage, which could damage appliances and pose safety risks. Aside from the wiring upgrade, circuit breakers were also installed in each classroom for added safety.
Vivant Foundation earlier partnered with the Department of Education to enhance the EIM track curriculum to include solar technology. To support the implementation of the EIM-Solar curriculum, Vivant Foundation donated tools and equipment for the EIM laboratory and conducted sets of training for instructors of beneficiary senior high schools.
Vivant Energy Corp., through its subsidiary Isla Norte Power Corp., had been the sole power provider in mainland Bantayan Island.