Keeper of the trees
Parang, Maguindanao – In Barangay Kutongan in this municipality, which was too remote to be connected to the power grid, electricity came through stand-alone solar home systems installed by the AMORE Program in participating households in May 2005. The solar home systems caught sunlight and converted it into electricity to power bright, steady, smokeless lights and simple appliances. Uting Kaunotan had a problem, though. He did not want to trim the leaves of five coconut trees surrounding his house to allow maximum sunlight to reach his solar home system. Excited though he was to have electricity in his house, he also loved the trees that had been with his family for decades.
So Uting made an unusual but wise decision--transfer his house to a place where there were no trees around. A day before the actual installation of the solar home systems, Uting and his family began to demolish their house. Piece by piece, they rebuilt it 30 meters away, nearer to the seaside and farther from the coconut trees. Uting and his family are now happy with their newly-lit house, and the trees are as tall and sturdy as ever. |
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