Grains industry largely dependent on electricity

MANILA, Philippines - The most significant sign of rural progress is electrification.

Electrification projects provide a big push to the country’s economic development. They do not only provide lighting for the rural areas, they also generate the electric power needed to run machineries used in various industries and the much-needed irrigation systems throughout the country.

The grains industry for one, is largely dependent on electricity. Grains driers, mills, grains processing equipment and grains warehouses cannot do without electricity. Other industries are just as dependent on electricity.

Dr. Santiago Obien, former executive director of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), said electrically-driven irrigation pumps should be installed in rural areas of the country to help rice and vegetable farmers irrigate their farmlands “which, to me, is a definite example of the economic impact of electricity in our barrios.”

“Ang rural electrification sa bansa ay hindi lamang para mailawan ang mga tahanan kundi para lalu pang mapalaki ang aanihing palay at mga gulay na tinatanim ng ating mga magsasaka  thru power-driven machines and equipment. Sa area halimbawa ng rice and corn milling lalu na kung nagkakaroon ng mga brownout o power outages, milyon-milyong piso ang nawawala o nalulugi sa mga may ari nito. In short, almost everything freezes without electricity,” he said in an interview.

“Ang rural electrification ay isa lamang sa malaking pangangailangan sa agrikultura na dapat pagtuunan ng malaking pansin ng pamahalaan if we are to fully develop the industry,” he said, adding that with sufficient electricity in the rural areas, “we could be able to engage in various food production programs to bolster our counrtry’s efforts aimed at food sufficiency.”

Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Carlos Padilla and Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone disputed the claim made recently by Energy Secretary Rene Almendras that 99 percent of barangays nationwide have access to electricity.

According to Evardone, who was former governor of his province, only 80 percent of Eastern Samar has electricity. Padilla, who is asking the House appropriations committee to allocate P1 billion for rural electrification, said in his province alone, there are still many barangays that do not have electricity.

Padilla lamented that while there is a P23-billion allocation for dole-outs to indigent families in the President’s proposed P1.645-trillion 2011 national budget, there are no funds allotted to electrify rural communities.