SOLAR POWERED DESALINATION

SOLAR POWERED DESALINATION

It is an idea whose time has come. But has it really come? Or is it just too good to be true?

We have been hearing about desalination technologies for decades. The promise is always the same: endless clean water from the sea, if only we could make it cheap and sustainable. In the past, the stumbling block was the same too—high energy costs. That is why the experiment now underway in Poropandan, Sorsogon is so interesting. Unlike the “desalinator” invented by MIT engineers that requires no electricity, the technology of POWER 4 ALL uses electricity. But here’s the catch—it is solar-powered electricity.

Yes, it uses power, but not from the grid. That makes it the next best thing. In fact, it’s really a two-in-one sustainable solution: clean power and clean water in one package.

From boat rides to turn-on-the-tap, the transformation in Poropandan is dramatic. Residents who used to pay ₱150 or more just to get to a potable water source in Matnog now have safe water at their doorsteps. This is not just a matter of convenience; it is a matter of health, dignity, and survival.

POWER 4 ALL, though a private company, presents itself as a social enterprise—and rightly so. They clearly exist to make profit, but they have also taken on a social mission that few companies dare to embrace. What’s more, they are bringing this missionary zeal to the farthest places in the archipelago. They have even partnered with the DENR to make sure their solutions can reach the remotest communities. That is a good thing, because when you bring in government, the chances of replication and scaling go much higher.

Since they have already implemented some pilot projects in a few LGUs, it is fair to assume that their costs are affordable. But even if the price tags are high, the real issue is not cost—it is how to bring sustainable water and power to far-flung islands that have been neglected for too long.

And so, I ask: what is stopping DENR and POWER 4 ALL from replicating this project in more LGUs? Is it the lack of contacts? The lack of budgets? Or simply the lack of coordination?

Perhaps these projects could move forward faster if they were supported by NGOs and CSR groups. Corporate foundations, for example, could adopt a barangay and help provide both financial and logistical support. NGOs could help in the community organizing side of things—training local cooperatives, setting up water councils, and making sure the technology is maintained properly.

If that is the case, I am willing to help in the coordination of these projects. I can imagine a coalition of LGUs, NGOs, CSR groups, and private tech providers all working together. Cooperation and collaboration, I believe, are the only ways to make these projects truly succeed.

To the LGUs out there: water security is not just a development issue, it is a political issue. Your constituents will remember if you bring them clean water, just as they remember when you fail to deliver. To the private sector: here is an opportunity to align your CSR funds with real, long-term impact. To the NGOs: this is your chance to plug into a solution that is practical, replicable, and community based.

Solar-powered desalination is not a miracle technology, but it is the closest thing we have right now to a breakthrough. It tackles two of our greatest challenges—power and water—with one stroke. It is adaptable, modular, and scalable. Most importantly, it restores dignity to communities that have been left behind.

The question is no longer whether the technology works. The question is whether we, as a nation, can muster the will to replicate and expand it.

The people of Poropandan no longer have to go far for water. But what about the thousands of other barangays scattered across our archipelago? Will they remain thirsty while one lucky community drinks? Or will we finally decide that safe, clean water should not be a privilege, but a right?

The time has come—but only if we act.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres
iseneres@yahoo.com, 09088877282, senseneres.blogspot.com

11-10-2025 

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