A 63-year-old named Nicanor Cordero, also known as “Lolo Inot” from Canlaon, Negros Occidental, has not paid for electricity for 30 years due to his invention of a hydropower plant. Many of us are troubled by the high electricity bills every month, along with other expenses like rice, food, water bills, and more. This is a common issue for low-income Filipinos, leaving very little from their wages after expenses. Some of us are thinking of ways to reduce and save on these costs, including conserving electricity.
Many of us are using and installing solar panels for our solar energy source, which can help us save on electricity and avoid frequent brownouts due to the alleged shortage of electricity from energy source companies. However, it comes with a cost, and not everyone can afford to install a solar energy source.
There are other alternatives for energy sources, including windmills, and the hydropower system which Mang Nicanor (Lolo Inot) has been using for three decades. In an interview with a news organization, Lolo Nicanor was asked about his educational background, and he mentioned that he only finished fourth grade. He got the idea when he saw a tin can with teeth placed in water, and it started spinning. In his area at Sitio Bulong, Barangay Nilothangan, Canlaon City, they can watch TV for free, and all electrical appliances work without a problem.
Water flows from a spring in Mount Kanlaon to the irrigation system Lolo Nicanor diverted the water to his hydropower plant, which spins the turbine. The dynamo attached to the turbine generates electricity for his house.
During Typhoon Odette, most of his neighbors charged their devices and tapped into his electricity because Odette’s impact caused a prolonged power outage across almost the entire Negros Island. His neighbors admire Mang Nicanor’s intelligence, which, according to him, was a gift from GOD.