Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
Two solar PV diesel hybrid power plant projects have recently been unveiled by the government and its donors in Tawi-Tawi to improve the residents’ access to reliable renewable energy sources and boost the island-province’s economy, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) disclosed on Sunday, March 3.
The launching of the hybrid diesel-solar power plants in the coastal communities of Sibutu and Sitangkai last Thursday, February 28, was led by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), provincial government of Tawi-Tawi, Department of Energy (DOE), and OPAPRU.
The hybrid power plants were part of the “Renewable Energy Technology for Seaweeds Value Added in Tawi-Tawi” (RETS) Project, which aims to provide 1.65 megawatts of renewable energy to village folk in the project’s target areas.
The power facilities are expected to provide reliable electricity to 2,000 to 5,000 households, including community and health centers in the municipalities of Sibutu and Sitangkai, as well as neighboring island-communities, according to OPAPRU.
Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Carlito G. Galvez Jr. underscored the socio-economic benefits that the power plants will provide to the residents who have only dreamed of getting access to a stable power supply for many years.
“The RETS Project provides a very good opportunity to transform the lives of residents, particularly seaweed farmers, by improving their access to energy and expanding prospects for better livelihood and higher incomes,” he said.
Aquaculture is among the primary sources of livelihood of residents in Tawi-Tawi but the limited energy supply in most of the province’s municipalities has been a perennial challenge faced by seaweed farmers, which has limited their capacity to produce high-quality products to meet market demands.
Recognizing that electricity and water are valuable components in seaweed production, two water supply feasibility studies were conducted by the government and partner-donors to help the provincial government of Tawi-Tawi and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in developing a reliable water supply system.
The RETS Project, which is being facilitated by MinDA and supported by the European Union (EU) and UNIDO, seeks to benefit around 3,500 seaweed farmers in Tawi-Tawi.
The project is also being implemented in collaboration with the Mindanao State University Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography, Tawi-Tawi Electric Cooperative, and the Association of Island Electric Cooperatives-Island Light and Water Development Corporation (AIEC-ILAW).
“This project has a generational impact. In remote areas of the island municipalities, electricity is a luxury. With the electricity generated by the RETS Project, children can study and do their homework at night under the bright lights,” Sibutu Vice Mayor Alshefa J. Pajiji noted.
“This will inspire more economic activity in our municipality, providing more comfort and convenience to us, encouraging more local trade and tourism for us,” Pajiji added. — Martin Sadongdong
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