Kalinga power firm told: Name unenergized areas

By Geraldine G. Dumallig

TABUK CITY,  Kalinga –Administrator Edita Bueno of the National Electrification Administration (NEA) has directed the immediate preparation of a feasibility study for the Barangay Line Enhancement Program (BLEP) and Sitio Electrification Project (SEP) of Kalinga.

In a dialogue with the Kalinga-Apayao Electric Cooperative (KAELCO) administration and local officials  headed by Vice Gov. Allen Jesse Mangaoang, Buenocited need to identify all the sitios, households and barangays still to be serviced by the nation’s power grid “to ensure are all sitios are energized by the end of 2015”.

She directed KAELCO to submit its feasibility study and come up with the proposed plan.

This she said will be presented during a meeting with NEA in preparation for the project’s validation and proposal for budgeting.

'The President is firm in his commitment that before his term ends in 2015, all sitios in the country are enjoying the full benefits of reliable electricity, providing the marginalized sector more opportunities to engage in human development and economic activities to ease their way of living', she said.

To ensure immediate implementation of the endeavor, President Aquino has ordered the Department of Budget and Management to release funds to allow the NEA to provide electricity to off-grid sitios and other un-electrified communities.

“President Aquino has assured that budget will be allocated for the program, but we have to prepare the project and budget proposals well to be able to defend its funding and to ensure that the fund would be utilized prudently and wisely and the project is honestly implemented,” she said.

According to Bueno, NEA is conducting monitoring all over the country to evaluate the current situation of the country’s electrification program.

With this, NEA urged concerned LGUs to ensure that all their constituents would be reached by electricity during the targeted period, she said.

According to Bueno, the energy enhancement program also include areas covered by solar energy, micro-and hydro powered, and areas using generator as source of energy to ensure a more reliable energy source to prevent power disruptions and other connection-related problems.