Shell is the longest running energy company in the Philippines, armed with over 5,000 committed employees who are united towards delivering the best quality products and services to Filipino consumers. But more than doing business and making profit, Shell aspires to be a good corporate citizen.

At the heart of Shell’s flagship advocacies is sustainable development. And for Shell, sustainable development is our aim to provide more and cleaner energy solutions in a responsible manner in a way that balances short- and long-term interests, and that integrates economic, environmental and social considerations.

Powering Progress

Driven by the rallying cry, Powering Progress, Shell aims to integrate sustainability with our business strategy. This ethos is also seen in the best practice initiatives carried out by its social development arm, Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI).

PSFI has responded to the needs of Shell worksites and host communities, as well as the rest of the country. Since its inception in 1982, it has touched the lives of over 13 million Filipinos by providing opportunities for employment and livelihood, quality education, and health care services. Through PSFI, Shell aspires to be a good corporate neighbor who will take the lead and is willing to tread great lengths in devoting time, effort, and resources to find ways to help improve human and environmental care, and implement programs that promote growth and sustain development. One of the flagship programs of the Foundation is the energy access program, Save, Invest, Nurture Access to Green Energy and Technologies (SINAG) in the province of Palawan. Shell believes that the supply of affordable, reliable and sustainable energy is crucial for addressing global challenges, including those related to poverty and inequality – and the SINAG program is a concrete response to this.

Being the home of the Shell Malampaya asset, Palawan has always been considered as one of the Company’s host communities. Being an energy company, Shell has always been aware of the lack of energy access in the province.

Development impeded by energy access

In 2018, the National Electrification Administration reported that only 141,300 households in Palawan or roughly 58% of homes are energized. The remaining 102,448 households continue to live with no access to energy. These areas remain to be excluded in the 10-year electrification master plan of the local government and the local power utility.

Powering Progress in Palawan through SINAG

At the end of 2020, 166 households in Maytegued and 117 households in Albaguen, or a total of 283 households (approximately 1,415 individuals) were provided with access to energy through the 2 microgrids. The microgrids are able to generate an average of 4,650 kW monthly. Community institutions such as schools, churches, street lights and community plazas are also directly benefitting from access to energy, and there are 80 houses provided with individual solar home systems. Since SINAG started in 2014, PSFI’s project has provided 963 households or 4,845 individuals with 24/7 access to energy either by microgrid or through the individual solar home systems. For year 2020 alone, that is almost 283 kerosene lamps put off and some 10 generator sets decommissioned.

Getting rid of these energy sources may seem like a small accomplishment, but when we think about the additional warming that we have halted to produce from the entirely black carbon and CO2 from the kerosene lamp when lit, the islands of Maytegued and Albaguen has gone some degrees cooler. It is estimated that SINAG was also able to stop CO2 emission by at least 187.6kg every night or 5,628 every month from the 10 decommissioned generator sets in 2020. SINAG since it has started in 2014 has gotten rid of more or less 800 kerosene lamps or 35 diesel generators decommissioned which translates to reduced climate warming in 7 community villages.
Energy is development, and through the SINAG initiative, Shell is indeed Powering Progress for the people Palawan.