isolated, disadvantaged filipino schools receive learning boost

They’re called last mile schools: places so isolated that they can require both boats and treks along rural roads to reach.

For the students attending them, getting a quality education can be just as challenging.

Living in a remote, unelectrified village in the Philippine province of Bulacan, children at Basyo Elementary School had to rely on moonlight to complete their homework after dark.

That was until Chevron stepped up to help.

The company donated supplies, including solar lamps for students without electricity, to two schools in the area.

Although it might seem like a small gesture, the gift proved transformational, said the school’s head teacher.

“The solar lights help them study easily at home,” said Airene San Gabriel. “The students can see their books, can write easily and can return to school the following day with a prepared assignment.”

Such efforts support the nation’s Last Mile Schools Program, which aims to bridge learning gaps in students who attend schools in hard-to-reach areas or on isolated islands. In many cases, these gaps were worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chevron has been supporting Last Mile Schools since 2022.

The company’s efforts include working with and volunteering at local schools.

“The students at these elementary schools have a simple life,” San Gabriel said. “They are living in a community where there is no potable water, no electricity and no food. So the donations are meaningful to them.”