Living without electricity or paved roads has been a lifelong reality for Liezel Sarmiento, a barangay councilor and member of the Dumagat-Remontado tribe in Sitio Cablao, Quezon. For years, residents in her mountainous town depended entirely on daylight to navigate safe journeys home, conduct simple daily tasks, and travel hours over rugged terrain to reach the nearest market for basic goods.
That long-standing difficulty is now changing through a new initiative called Lights for Life. To mark 50 years of community empowerment, BDO Life joined forces with One Million Lights Philippines and the BDO Foundation to provide clean solar lamps to remote Dumagat-Remontado villages located beyond the reach of the local power grid.
Under the campaign, BDO Life donates 500 pesos for every qualified life insurance policy purchased. The program aims to distribute solar lamps to more than 1,000 tribal households whose livelihoods center on river fishing, vegetable farming, and copra production.
Before the distribution of solar equipment, families depended heavily on dim, short-lived makeshift lamps fueled by flammable almaciga resin. Tribal chieftain Myra Dela Cruz explained that the lack of electricity previously forced parents to rush through household chores before dark, while children were routinely prevented from doing schoolwork once night fell.
Local leaders note that access to solar power offers significantly safer mobility during evening hours, extends operational time for home livelihoods, and gives students the chance to continue studying at night. For remote indigenous areas long accustomed to living in the dark, the addition of renewable lighting serves as an essential stepping stone toward improved daily safety and broader economic opportunity.
