ILOILO – Combining clean energy with disaster readiness, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region 6 has launched an innovative project that aims to empower a remote island village in Concepcion town.
The initiative, known as the DAGAT Project — short for Driving Advancement, Generating Access, and Transforming Small Island Communities — goes beyond simply electrifying Barangay Botlog. By installing a small-scale wind turbine, the project seeks to showcase how renewable energy can strengthen not just sustainability but also resilience in far-flung areas prone to natural hazards.
“In this pilot project, we want to demonstrate that we have a local capability here in the region to produce this kind of technology, and is effective in providing renewable energy to our island barangays,” said Keithlyn Sarah Bernardino, assistant director for technical operations at DOST-6.
The wind turbine, developed with partners Central Philippine University, the Northern Iloilo State University Affiliated Renewable Energy Center, and the municipal government of Concepcion, will supply electricity to key public facilities such as the barangay hall, gymnasium, church, day care center, and street lights.
While the project will not yet power individual homes, it marks a significant step toward sustainable infrastructure in underserved communities.
Crucially, the project integrates climate resilience by training locals in disaster preparedness and basic first aid.
“We also capacitated them in disaster risk reduction and management wherein we conducted training on disaster preparedness and basic first aid and we assisted them in coming up with an emergency and evacuation plan and establishing their DRRM corner,” Bernardino added.
With installation already underway and operationalization targeted this year, DOST hopes the pilot will serve as a replicable model for other island barangays across Western Visayas./PN