by Claro A. Lanipa
Pagadian City, Jan 31 (PIA) – President Benigno S. Aquino III is targeting 60 percent of sitios and puroks to be energized under its electrification program.
Zamboanga del Sur Electric Cooperative I (ZAMSURECO-I) Information Officer Liberal Cabatcha said that out of 100 percent potential consumers supposedly who can avail of the electrification program through the electric cooperatives, only 61 percent are with electricity, meaning 39 percent of the member consumers are without electricity.
Cabatcha said, a funding allocation and initiatives was made during the previous administration allocating P2.5 billion per year for the electrification program, but under the Aquino administration the amount was raised to P3 billion per year for a total of P5.5-B for the years 2012 to 2015. Hopefully by the end of 2015 which is the end of PNoy’s term all the sitios and barangays will be energized which runs to 33,848 or the remaining 60 percent un-energized areas throughout the Philippines, Cabatcha added.
He further said, aside from the electrification program for sitios and puroks, another program is now being implemented called the Barangay Line Expansion Program (BLEP). Those barangays energized with solar will be replaced using the lines of electric cooperatives so that they can avail the services of the main grid based in their respective areas.
Solar electrification system is not as much reliable and can’t be used to energized appliances at home, Cabatcha explained. He said by 2015 it is expected that 2,341 barangays will be able to benefit from this program.
President Aquino has instructed the electric coops to energized 1,479 additional sitios and barangays which is equivalent to 30,014 households connections by the end of December 2011. Of the target 1,479 sitios and barangays, 1,525 or the equivalent of 103 percent were energized, Cabatcha said.
Meanwhile, in support to the energization program of President Aquino ZAMSURECO-I has committed to energized 26 more sitios and puroks, in its area of concern, but 31 sitios and puroks were provided with electricity. As of January 13, 2012 154 household connections were completed. Although there are still 14 puroks and sitios that were not energized due to some reasons such as the clearing of road-right-of-way, no application made by the member consumer among others, Cabatcha explained.