RESIDENTS
of Barangay Bagumbayan, a far-flung village about
40 kilometers east of Sergio Osmeña municipality
in Zamboanga del Norte, lived a primitive life. They
had no electricity and lived in virtual darkness at
night—sans any form of social diversion at a
time when technological advancement is fast-changing
the way of life.
But that is now a thing of the past for Bagumbayan
villagers, thanks to the Alliance for Mindanao Off-grid
Renewable Energy (AMORE).
Together with its lead agency partner, the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID),
and in cooperation with the Department of Energy (DOE),
Mirant Philippines Foundation, Inc., the Autonomous
Region in Muslim Mindanao, and Winrock International,
AMORE brought electricity to this rural area.
January 29 marked another milestone in the history
of rural electrification when AMORE, headed by Chief
of Party Ma. Theresa Cruz-Capellan and her staff,
together with Gov. Rolando Yebes, Sergio Osmena Municipal
Mayor Agustines Magsalay and other guests switched
on the newly-installed Sustainable Solar Market Packages
(SSMP) communal facility to the delight and amusement
of the villagers. The new SSMP includes streetlights,
and public lighting facility with a cellphone battery
charging station, and can power TV/DVD appliances
and a public address system.
"Daghang salamat AMORE (Thank you so much AMORE).”
This was the reverberating message of gratitude from
no less than Bagumbayan Barangay Chieftain Bartolome
Engcoy, Mayor Magsalay and Gov. Yebes, whose visit
to the village was his first since he assumed office
in 2004.
The project, which costs no less than P500,000, was
initiated and given by the DOE to AMORE for implementation
in a bid to fast-track electrification of off-grid
barangays, faster market dissemination and utilization.
Barangay Bagumbayan is one the 21 villages in Zamboanga
Peninsula which DOE and AMORE agreed to energize.
According to Capellan, the DOE-AMORE agreement signed
by both parties in July 2006 signaled the opening
of a formal partnership with DOE, USAID and Winrock.
"Its purpose is to install solar panels in communal
communities so that the remote villages in ZaNorte
will have electricity,” Capellan said. She added
that the said agreement promotes electrification in
off-grid areas using a commercial approach.
"It means, in operational terms, that electricity
will be delivered in the off-grid barangays by lighting
common areas only.” Such is the case of Bagumbayan,
whose barangay hall now has 10 lights with a paved
court surrounded by streetlights.
Home lighting, she said, will follow and can be done
by “combining grant with financing from micro-lending
institutions.”
The SSMP scheme, Capellan further explained, has three
major components, one of which is that the program
lowers the system cost by providing subsidy to vendors
and suppliers. This is being done by the DOE.
Second, a financing program is made available to enable
rural households buy the solar home systems. Third,
the solar market chain is developed so consumers can
directly buy solar panels, batteries and other accessories
essential to solar home systems.
Capellan emphasized that the role of AMORE is to introduce
the rural electrification business and facilitate
tie-ups between Manila-based suppliers and the local
retailers in Zamboanga Peninsula.
With the leadership of ZaNorte and the cooperation
of the provincial leaders, Capella expressed confidence
that the remaining 150 barangays that are without
light will receive solar panels from the government.
After the monumental switch-on rites in Bagumbayan,
everyone motored back to the provincial capital of
Dipolog City for the signing of the Memorandum of
Agreement between ZaNorte Provincial Government, represented
by Gov. Yebes, and AMORE through Chief of Party Capellan.
Under the agreement, the ZaNorte Provincial Government
will allocate the amount of P2 million this year for
the electrification of eight more villages in the
province.
Gov. Yebes, who has been very supportive of AMORE
program, is hopeful that with AMORE, in tandem with
DOE’s “O’ Ilaw Program,” the
electrification of powerless rural barangays in his
province will be hastened.
"I am very hopeful that it will, because AMORE
means love. And when there is love, everything is
possible under the sun,” Gov. Yebes said. “Together,
let us beat the darkness and bring forth light to
the rural communities.”
The signing ceremony was held at the imposing ZaNorte
Convention & Exhibition Center.
For her part, Capellan reassured the ZaNorte provincial
government that AMORE “leaves no one behind.”
"We are committed to complete our task and contribute
to the household electrification of the province,”
Capellan said.
Standing as witnesses to the agreement were Director
Lindborg of USAID and the mayors from neighboring
towns and other provincial/barangay officials namely
Mayor Magsalay of Sergio Osmena, Mayor Abundio Siasico
of Siayan, Mayor Bert Macias of Sindangan, Mayor Carlito
Feras of Roxas, and Bagumbayan barangay officials. |
