Energy saving materials to be used in public schools

CEBU, Philippines - The Visayan Electric Co., Inc. will develop science supplementary materials on energy for Cebu public schools in partnership with the Department of Education-7.

Dubbed “Development and Production of Science Supplementary Materials on energy (DPSSM),” the project formally kicked off with the recent signing of a memorandum of agreement between VECO and DepEd-7 officials.

The production of supplemental materials is part of VECO’s continued effort to intensify its corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects through education. It emphasizes on the importance of teaching energy and energy conservation and incorporating it in the public schools’ science subject.

Over 100,000 public school students, teachers and administrators in Cebu are expected to benefit from the science supplementary materials. The Schools Division of Cebu City, Cebu Province, Lapu-lapu City, Mandaue City, Naga City and Talisay City will serve as the pilot areas.

Ricky Lacson, VECO’s VP for Administration and Customer Service Group, said he hopes the project will produce better awareness of the science behind energy.

“I am hoping more students will take interest and positively contribute to the power industry in the future,” Lacson said.

For his part, DepEd-7 director Recaredo Borgonia, said the immediate benefit of teaching proper use of energy is to reduce wasteful practices at home, in school, and in the community as a whole.

Strategies on proper energy and power consumption at home and in school will be demonstrated using the materials mentioned, and methods will be taught on how to compute energy consumption especially the electricity used at home.

In presenting the project to student at all levels, it is expected that they understand the subject matter and increase academic achievement — raising the Mean Percentage Scores (MPS) by 10 percent or higher from the previous National Achievement Test (NAT) and Regional Achievement Test (RAT) in science. While the science teachers will find it easier to teach matters on energy and energy conservation because the DPSSM will provide them better teaching modules. At the end of the school year, VECO and DepEd will identify schools with the least energy consumption.

Writers from the DepEd and experts from VECO will develop the DPSSM in a training-workshop. Pilot testing and finalization will be conducted before the DPSSM is uploaded in the Learning Resource Management and Development System of DepEd Region-7.

With Cebu as a pilot area, DepEd is confident of the project’s nationwide implementation in the near future.

The project is initiated by VECO, the second-largest power-distribution company in the Philippines, which is owned and managed by publicly-listed Aboitiz Power Corp. (PSE: AP) and Vivant Corp.

VECO serves over 350,000 customers in a franchise area that covers the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay and Naga; the municipalities of Consolacion, Liloan, Minglanilla and San Fernando. (FREEMAN NEWS)