Maasin City, Southen Leyte - The province-wide barangay electrification project covering a total of 500 barangays shall be completed before the end of 2009, if the targeted timetables have no hitches to encounter.

This was the disclosure of Archie Salazar, SOLECO?s OIC for Institutional Services in a recent interview with LSDE. According to him, out of 500 barangays comprising 18 municipalities and one city, 486 different barangays were already energized thus providing electric power to the inhabitants of various municipalities.

Salazar disclosed that the rural electrification program was originally the brainchild of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos. It started its implementation in Southern Leyte in 1982.The project first energized Maasin up to the town of Sogod. Earlier, the Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SOLECO) was incorporated in 1971 and has started its operation in 1975.

In 1983 the rural electrification project proceeded to Libagon and all of the 4 municipalities of Liloan, San Francisco, Pintuyan, and San Ricardo in the Panaon Island. The following year 1984, the energization project covered the Pacific towns of St.Bernard, San Juan, Anahawan, Hinundayan and Hinunangan.After the latest project was completed, Silago, the last municipality was then scheduled for power installation.

However, Limasawa Island with 6 barangays, which was part of Padre Burgos for many years until 1980s, was only energized sometime in 1996. At that time the island has become a municipality after the conduct of a referendum in both the inhabitants of the island and in the mainland Padre Burgos. The availability of Limasawa?s electric power is limited, that is from 6:00 p.m. up to 12:00 pm only. “WE decided to reduce the number of hours for the use of power in that place because at 12:00pm. most the people there are already sleeping. This is also the way to economize their payment of electric bills,” Salazar said.

He explained that Limasawa?s current electric rate is P8.83 per kilowatt hour because of the so-called dummy load. ?The normal cycle of the Leyte Grid?s power plant generator in the island should be maintained?, he said. ?Reducing its normal cycle will damage the generator and the reduced power output of say 210 volts instead of 220 will also damage the household appliances. The power being generated is more than what the 6 barangays of Limasawa have needed. Thus the surplus power is being charged to the consumers as dummy load.?

He informed that the current electrification of 12 barangays in the towns of Bontoc, Malitbog, Liloan, San Ricardo, Sogod and Silago has started sometime in October 2008. The ongoing project is estimated to be finished before the end of March 2009. He said the aforesaid project is undertaken by the privately-owned Philippine Development Corporation.

The barangays involved were Olisihan,Tigbawan 2, Saub, Bituon, San Ramon, Kinachawa, Looc, Buhong, Calinao, Hindangan, Kauswagan and Law-an.

SOLECO?s OIC for Institutional Services also divulged that the O Ilaw program of the incumbent President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was changed to Leyte Expanded Rural Electrification Project due to the privatization of some government agencies associated with the electrification project.

Salazar informed that the recipient for every finished project covering either 8 to 9 barangays in every phase of work is SOLECO. The electric coop will then allocate funding for the project and the delivery of services to the consumers. He also said SOLECO?s current rate is P6.69 per kilowatt hour (pkh).

He intimated that 15 to 18 barangays have benefited yearly upon completion of the phase by phase rural electrification project in various areas of the province.

He clarified that after the 12 barangays? electrification will be finished sometime in March 2009, there are only 2 remaining barangays for energization.

Salazar further revealed that the continual implementation of the stages of projects carried out by schedules were made possible by the funds raised by the Government?s energy agencies like the Department of Energy (DOE), Philippine National Oil Company-Energy Development Corporation (PNOC-EDC), National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR), and the National Electrification Administration(NEA).

He said moreover, that the “O Ilaw” project, which is just another name of Marcos? Rural Electrifications Program, has started during the Ramos Administration and was continued by the President Estrada government. He added that the incumbent President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who replaced Joseph Estrada thru the People Power 2, has mandated NEA to accomplish 100% total nationwide electrification by the year 2011. (Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

About the Contributor:

Mr. Quirico M. Gorpido Jr was an erstwhile Correspondent/Contributor to the following weeklies and dailies: Tacloban-based regional weekly a 33-year-old The Reporter for many years(now defunct), a Cebu-based weekly The Visayan Express(now defunct),Cebu-based daily The Freeman(1994-1998) now a sister publication of The Philippine Star, Maasin-based weekly The Southern Leyte Times for three years, Tacloban-based daily The Leyte Samar Daily Express(2000-2001), Cebu-based daily the Cebu Daily News(2002-2003), Tacloban-based weekly 7-year-old Tribune(2003-2007).