The Okada Foundation Inc, the charitable arm of the Okada Manila casino resort in the Philippine capital, has expanded its support for an education initiative bringing electricity and Internet access to schools in remote locations across that nation.
The Okada Foundation recently partnered with the Aboitiz Foundation to provide solar power and satellite Internet connectivity to Dinagat Elementary School, a floating school in the marshlands of Agusan del Sur province in the southern Philippines, according to a joint announcement.
The project forms part of AuroraPH, Aboitiz Foundation’s flagship education programme. Under the initiative, a 5.49-kilowatt-peak hybrid solar power system and satellite Internet service were installed at the school, which serves a geographically-isolated community accessible only by boat.
The partners said the project would enable students and teachers to access digital learning tools and online educational resources in an area where conventional infrastructure remains limited.
Okada Foundation president, James Lorenzana, said the initiative aligned with his organisation’s commitment to education and sustainability.
“More than solar panels and Internet connectivity, AuroraPH is about creating better opportunities for learning, supporting teachers, and helping communities gain access to possibilities that were previously out of reach,” Mr Lorenzana stated in prepared remarks.
Following what the partners described as the programme’s growing impact, Okada Foundation has provided an additional PHP10 million (US$162,504) grant to help expand electricity and Internet connectivity to more “last-mile” schools nationwide.
According to Aboitiz Foundation, AuroraPH currently has 84 schools in its services-development pipeline and aims to connect 300 remote schools across the Philippines to reliable power and Internet services.
