DOE, Winrock commit 21 Mindanao barangays for energization

The Department of Energy (DOE) and Winrock International will energize 21 barangays in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) under the Alliance for Mindanao and Multi-Regional Off-Grid Renewable Energy (AMORE) program.

Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla said the 21 barangays are part of the more than 200 barangays that the AMORE program has committed to energize from 2006-2008.

The electrification project, Lotilla said, will cost P21 million and will be funded from the DOE’s Barangay Electrification Program of the DOE and is expected to be completed by next year.

Under the agreement, the DOE will identify and select the 21 barangays in conflict-affected communities in Mindanao while Winrock International through the AMORE program will undertake procurement and installation of appropriate renewable energy systems through competitive bidding.

Winrock shall likewise assist the beneficiaries to establish strong community participation and effective social preparation to ensure sustained management and operation of the installed renewable energy systems.

Both the DOE and Winrock recognize that Mindanao, particularly the ARMM, is the least energized region in the country and home to the poorest and most conflict-ridden areas in the country.

"The signing of this agreement demonstrate our strong commitment to help bring peace and development in conflict-stricken Mindanao. The concerted efforts and dedication of all the sectors in not only lighting up the barangays but most importantly in enriching the lives of the people in the area through various livelihood and development projects are truly commendable," Lotilla said.

The agreement also states that both the DOE and Winrock shall develop and finalize within 30 days from the effective date of the agreement the implementation strategies for the partnership, duly approved by the Energy Secretary.

Winrock International is a non-profit organization that implements the AMORE program which aims to provide electricity in rural areas of Mindanao through the use of renewable energy systems such as solar panels and micro and mini-hydro systems.

Created in April 2002, the AMORE program is a joint project of the Philippine government through the DOE and ARMM and the United States government through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and private sector partners Mirant Foundation, Davao Light and Power Co., Inc. and the state-owned National Power Corp. (Napocor).

From April 2002 to date, Winrock thru the AMORE program has successfully energized 227 off-grid areas in the ARMM using photovoltaic and micro-hydro power systems.

AMORE has likewise organized and trained 227 community-based associations to operate and maintain the installed systems/facilities. They have so far raised approximately P11 million in operations and maintenance funds and have also established partnerships with other funding organizations to expand their projects.

"We still have some 3,000 barangays which have no access to electricity. We must continue our work. I call on stakeholders to continue working with the department, noting that expanding access to electricity in the countryside is becoming more difficult as we work towards reaching the remotest barangays in the country," Lotilla said.

As of Oct. 31, 2005, about seven percent of the 41,945 barangays all over the country still need to be energized.