IT&E loans 10 generators to PSS

With some public schools still lacking power, IT&E stepped forward yesterday and loaned 10 generators to the Public School System to help ease the situation for students.

The generators, which have 3.5k and 5k capacities, were turned over to PSS at IT&E’s Susupe branch yesterday.

Rob Harrel, IT&E executive director of customer operations, said they knew of PSS’ need for generators so they decided to reach out.

“These are generators that IT&E brought over from Guam right after the typhoon to power some of our cell sites initially, and we have larger generators for the cell sites to run up all the networks. So as we brought those up and with power coming up the distribution lines, now they are part of the surplus,” he said.

Harrell said these generators are being lent to PSS for free and PSS can use them “as long as they need them.”

Education Commissioner Dr. Rita Sablan said she’s grateful to IT&E.

“We’ve been asking for generators from the CNMI government and we haven’t gotten any responses. We’re glad that the business community really cares about our children and now we’re going to be able to bring some fans and cool air to the classrooms to circulate the air inside the classrooms,” Sablan said.

“We’re so grateful to have the opportunity to have this kind of collaboration,” she added.

Sablan said the generators will power up some 50 classrooms in 10 buildings of Kagman Elementary School and Marianas High School.

“If we can’t have air-conditioning, at least we can have fans,” Sablan said.

“I’m actually very excited, I’m really thrilled because this is something that will really help students with what they need to do,” KES principal Dr. Ignacia Demapan said. “We’re very thankful to IT&E for responding to our needs at this time.”

“They’re just a great community partner,” Marianas High School principal Cherlyn Cabrera said. “We’re just so grateful. On behalf of the sweaty students of Marianas High School, I know they will be grateful.”

Sablan said there are Head Start centers that still need generators and they are looking at options on where to get them. She also mentioned that they placed an order for backup generators but those won’t come until the end of October.

“If there are any generators out there in the community that’s not being used, we’d like to loan them,” Sablan said.