A 25-kilowatt community solar power project integrated with a solar-powered water desalination system has been commissioned on Matabas Island in Negros Occidental, bringing electricity and clean water services to about 150 households in the off-grid community.
The initiative, known as the REPower Matabas Project, was launched to mark World Oceans Day and is being implemented by the Negrosanon Initiative for Climate and the Environment (NICE) with support from the Honnold Foundation and other partners.
The project consists of a 12-kilowatt hybrid solar system powering a water desalination facility, an eight-kilowatt hybrid rooftop solar installation for the island school, and a five-kilowatt solar system for the local church. It also includes 70 solar-powered streetlights, community charging stations and a battery energy storage system.
Former Negros Occidental governor Rafael Coscolluela, now the province’s consultant for environment and energy, said the initiative forms part of the province’s broader renewable energy transition program.
“We hope Matabas can become a model for community-based renewable energy projects that can be replicated in other remote areas,” he said in a statement.
Matabas, part of Barangay Molocaboc in Sagay City, is accessible only by a 45- to 50-minute boat ride from Vito Wharf. NICE Secretary-General Joshua Villalobos said the island is not included in the electrification plans of the Northern Negros Electric Cooperative because of its off-grid location.
He said the project was designed not only to deliver clean energy but also to address development challenges identified by the community, including access to safe drinking water, lower energy costs and improved public services.
Second District Representative Alfredo Marañon III said the project had fulfilled the community’s long-standing aspiration for reliable water and electricity supplies.
The initiative also includes training for members of the Matabas Active Women Association on alternative livelihoods and disaster risk reduction, highlighting the role of women-led, community-centered clean energy solutions for off-grid island communities.