DOE aims for 100% barangay electrification by next year
The Department of Energy (DOE) has challenged industry stakeholders to push for a 100-percent barangay electrification level by next year.
Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes said with this commitment, they will be able to bring power to all the barangays in the country a year ahead of the 2010 schedule.
“This covenant is a testimony by all stakeholders of their commitment to help government wire and light the remaining 1,400 villages before 2010,” Reyes said.
Reyes said only three percent of the country’s 42,000 barangays are still without electricity.
President Arroyo has pledged during the first Energy Summit in January this year to light all barangays in 2009 and target the poorest of the poor.
Providing electricity to every household in the country is included in President Arroyo’s 10-point pro-poor agenda.
Through the Expanded Rural Electrification Program (EREP), Reyes said government is able to uplift the lives of the poor, using electricity as the platform to create employment opportunities in the rural areas and increase productivity among residents in remote and off-grid villages.
The EREP is participated by the National Electrification Administration, National Power Corp. and the AMORE Program.
The electric cooperatives that signified their support to the program are Zamboanga Sur II Electric Cooperative Inc. (ZAMSURECO II), Sultan Kudarat Electric Cooperative Inc. (SUKELCO), Sulu Electric Cooperative Inc. (SULECO), Basilan Electric Cooperative Inc. (BASELCO), Lanao Sur Electric Cooperative Inc. (LASURECO) and Maguindanao Electric Cooperative Inc. (MAGELCO).
Based on DOE data, a total of 40,752 or 97 percent of all barangays across the country now have access to electricity services, leaving just 1,438 more barangays still to be energized.
“The Arroyo administration accelerated the rural electrification program. Back in 1999, there were about 9,600 unlighted barangays – most of them in the boondocks or remote islands. This year, as a result of partnerships and collaboration with partners, all these barangays were divided among the stakeholders to ensure the completion of the targeted barangays in accordance to the set timeframe,” Reyes said.
At the start of the government-led rural electrification initiative,
From 2002 to 2007, about 316 villages were lighted by AMORE. This constitutes 20 percent of all newly-energized barangays in ARMM during that period.
This year, ARMM continues to have the lowest electrification rate, standing at 84.34 percent, or 2, 255 villages out of 2, 671 barangays.
Of these 416 barangays still without electricity, 122 barangays from Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Shariff Kabunsuan, and Maguindanao were assigned to the AMORE Program for electrification by 2009. This represents 30 percent of the total barangays to be energized in the Muslim region.
“AMORE shall continue to play a significant part in the rural electrification program especially since the last remaining barangays are located in remote areas and isolated islands. These barangays are difficult to reach because of geography and security. Only AMORE is able to handle these types of communities.”
Reyes added AMORE uses renewable energy systems, a technology that proves to be the most economically-viable option for these un-energized communities. Since the extension of these transmission lines are expensive and risky in the mountains and islands without electricity, solar and hydropower remain as the solution in these areas.
Moreover, the rural electrification program of AMORE replaces kerosene with solar lighting. Given the rapid rise of fuel cost, solar energy provides substantial savings to poor families.
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