by Lhean Tabuyan

Lhean E. Tabuyan is a third-year Electrical Engineering Student from the Eastern Visayas State University, who recently completed his internship with the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities – RE-Charge Pilipinas team in Tacloban City.

I am very thankful to ICSC’s RE-Charge Pilipinas (RCP) for accepting us [interns] for on-the-job training. During my time there, I learned a lot and gained valuable experience, which helped me further develop my skills and made me work more efficiently. I would like to thank Sir Glinly Alvero, Sir Orlando Quesada, Ma’am Jessa Margallo Zosa, and Sir Arturo Tahup for their guidance and support.

One of the key things I learned while working with RCP was how to create both basic and professional diagrams for TekPaks and Solar Stiks, as well as how to reconfigure and troubleshoot them. Additionally, we were able to put together various outputs, such as a barbecue grill, through welding practice with Sir Glinly, and practice conducting energy needs assessments in the RCP office.

We also conducted an energy needs assessment at the Kapuso Village Integrated School (KVIS) in Northern Tacloban. We visited each room and interviewed the teachers to understand how many hours they used their room appliances and recorded the wattage of each one. Then, we calculated the total watts, watt-hours, kilowatt-hours, and cost per kilowatt-hour. The results were within the expected range, which allowed the RCP Team to plan for a solar-powered charging system. This system, created with the help of us student interns, will be incredibly useful during emergencies when power is out, but it can also be used in normal conditions when electricity is available. Based on the assessment results, we then identified electrical and physical hazards that could potentially cause accidents or fatalities. 

With two weeks left in our internship, we also began constructing the solar-powered charging system for KVIS. We faced some challenges initially due to a lack of materials within Tacloban City. While we were working on the solar-powered charging system, we were joined by journalism students from Leyte Normal University, who interviewed us about the project. 

After completing the solar charging system, we returned to KVIS with the student journalists to help install the solar panel on the second-floor building, connecting it to the solar-powered charging system below. We then demonstrated how to use the solar-powered charging system properly to avoid misuse, and presented our findings from the energy needs assessment. This was beneficial for teachers, parents, and students as they could apply these insights in real-life situations and in their homes.

In the 240 hours I’ve spent in the internship program, I learned a great deal under ICSC’s RE-Charge Pilipinas team. The experience helped me grow as an electrical engineering student, and I have no regrets about choosing this place for my on-the-job training. I am confident that everything I learned will be valuable in the future. I’m grateful to ICSC, and to Ma’am Cleofe Caidic for recommending that we pursue an internship opportunity at RE-Charge Pilipinas.