Smart connects first of Tawi-Tawi towns

Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. made a call to Barangay Pababag, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, demonstrating how a partnership between Smart Communications Inc. and the Alliance for Mindanao Off-Grid Renewable Energy (AMORE) can benefit remote towns in Mindanao.

Under the AMORE program, Smart puts up public calling offices or Tawag Centers in remote barangays identified for electrification in Western and Central Mindanao and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), using solar power and other renewable energy systems.

The AMORE program of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Winrock International, with the cooperation of the Department of Energy, ARMM and Mirant Philippines is targeting the electrification of at least 150 barangays in the provinces of Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Basilan, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Sibugay, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, Maguindanao and Davao City from April 2002 to September 2004.

Reynaldo Reynaldo, area manager for AMORE, said Smart has initially committed to put up four more Tawag Centers in barangays Langyan, Sapa-sapa, Panglimasugala and Kandubas in Tawi-Tawi.

The leading wireless services provider uses satellite technology since beneficiary towns of the AMORE program are in remote rural areas which cannot be connected to the national grid because of geographical limitations or economic non-viability. Thus, most are also beyond the reach of wired or cellular networks.