Power connection on in Apayao, Kalinga villages

By Peter A. Balocnit

TABUK CITY, Kalinga -- The National Electrification Administration is hastening electrification of  six  barangays in Apayao and Kalinga.

Corazon Tomas, general manager of the Kalinga-Apayao Electric Cooperative (KAELCO), said  connection to the main power grid is ongoing in barangays Karagawan, Nagbabalayan and Laco in Kabugao in Apayao.

In Kalinga, works are  being fastracked to complete power connection before year ends  in barangays Upper and Lower Taloctoc in Tanudan and Ba-ay in Pinukpuk. 

“In case power lines are in placed for Taloctoc this year, lines expansion to connect the municipal site at Banagao, Poblacion, Tanudan will continue,” Tomas said. Barangays Anggacan, Anggacan Sur, Lower Mangali, Mangali Centro and Poblacion will also be connected since they are along the route line towards Banagao, she added.

The project to connect these barangays is   supported by the 2012 Priority Development Assistance Fund  of Representatives Eleanor Bulut of Apayao and Manuel Agyao of Kalinga.

If completed, there will only be 30 off-grid barangays left for electrification until 2015 – 14 in Apayao and 16 in Kalinga.

According to Leonardo Egcatan, KAELCO corporate planning chief, with a total estimated project cost of P75 million, 2,317 households are expected to  benefit from full electrification of the  two provinces by 2015, the national target to complete electrification of the whole Philippine archipelago.