Three years after Caltex, marketed by Chevron Philippines (CPI), funded the initial purchase and installation of a solar power system at San Pablo Apostol Parish (SPAP) in Tondo, Manila, the parish has recorded an estimated ₱2.58 million in cumulative electricity-cost savings.
The savings have enabled SPAP to direct more resources toward programs supporting children and families in Tondo. According to the parish, 80% of the funds saved have supported its feeding and scholarship programs, including providing 40,000 meals through the Make Jesus Known and Loved (MaJeKaL) Mission. The remaining 20% has supported the parish’s general and administrative requirements.
Before the system was installed, SPAP spent approximately P80,000 each month on electricity. Reducing this operational expense has allowed the parish to strengthen community programs that began as a feeding initiative in 2017 and later expanded to include education and livelihood support.
Caltex funded the purchase and installation of the solar panels through Bakhita Canossa Foundation Inc., the congregation’s official foundation for community programs. The pilot project was undertaken with Sasonbi Inc. as a project proponent, while Bakhita Canossa Foundation and San Pablo Apostol Parish served as project beneficiaries.
“Ang inyong suporta ay hindi lamang nagbibigay ng pagkain at scholarship. Ibinabalik ninyo ang kanilang dignidad, binibigyan sila ng pag-asa, at tinutulungan silang muling mangarap. Ang bawat pagkain ay nagsasabing, “Mahalaga ka.” Ang bawat scholarship ay nagsasabing, “Mahalaga ang iyong kinabukasan,” said Fr. Reynaldo Daguitera, former Parish Priest of San Pablo Apostol Parish and Executive Director of Majekal Mission Center. (“Your support doesn’t just provide food and scholarships. You are giving back their dignity, giving them hope, and helping them dream again. Every meal says, ‘You matter.’ Every scholarship says, ‘Your future matters.’ “)
Looking ahead, SPAP plans to use the ongoing electricity cost savings to sustain its feeding, scholarship, and livelihood programs. By reducing one of the parish’s major operating expenses, the solar power system will free up more resources to support children and families in the Tondo community.
“When we envisioned this project, we saw an opportunity for environmental stewardship to directly strengthen SPAP’s work in the community. By helping the parish reduce its electricity costs, we knew the savings could be redirected to augment its feeding, scholarship, and other community programs. It is rewarding to see that vision come to life and to know that this support continues to create meaningful benefits for children and families in Tondo,” says Pongtorn “Bon” Tangmanuswong, CPI General Manager and Country Chairman.
The SPAP project forms part of Caltex’s social investment initiatives covering education, livelihood, health, safety, and environmental sustainability.
