Locations
Aborlan, Palawan – Sitio Bubusawin—an off-the-grid farming community in Palawan—now has access to a 24/7 renewable source of electricity through a partnership between the Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO) and the municipal government of Aborlan with the support of the Department of Energy (DOE) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Witnessed by the Provincial Government of Palawan, and UNDP, the official signing of a Memorandum of Undertaking (MOU) among DOE, PALECO and Aborlan signified the fruition of a multistakeholder collaboration for off-grid electrification and productive use of renewable energy in local communities. The partnership enabled the design and installation of Solar PV DC Smart Grid systems for the electrification of 120 households and the provision of a Solar Irrigation System to help lessen the community’s dependence on expensive diesel-powered generators. The solar power coverage for the rest of the 295 households in the Sitio will be continued by the municipal government as renewable energy integration will be part of the local development plan.
“This is the light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel for the people of Bubusawin. More families can now enjoy the comfort of a lighted home and benefit from more business opportunities powered by electricity. This provides us a steadier supply of power and, perhaps more importantly, the promise of the future growth of a community like Bubusawin,” said Hon. Ceisa Adler, Mayor of Aborlan, in her message at the signing ceremony held in Bubusawin Elementary School.
The solar PV-powered DC Smart Grid system can provide cheaper electricity individual households and even access to a power source during outages and times of calamities. It could also potentially support the socioeconomic development of households and businesses in Bubusawin. The small farming community primarily used diesel-powered generators to light up their homes that could only supply energy for 3-4 hours a day. From spending as much as Php 1500 per month on diesel, each household beneficiary will now only pay around Php 350 monthly with the newly installed solar PV systems. The solar PV-powered irrigation system that will be provided to the community will help the local farmers’ association to irrigate rain-fed areas, harvest palay twice a year rice, and plant short-term crops like vegetables during dry months.
The initiative was funded through the Development for Renewable Energy Applications Mainstreaming and Market Sustainability (DREAMS) Project jointly implemented by DOE and the UNDP with funding from the Global Environment Facility. DREAMS supports the thrust of the national government in promoting green energy, Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE) and achieve the 100% electrification target for all households in the country
DOE Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella underscored the importance of the initiative, “If there is no electricity, the community will lag behind. Here, we used clean sources of energy to makes our communities more competitive and our partner LGU, Palawan, will be given the opportunity to attract more investments, more tourists, more economic activities and more development.”
“We are grateful for all the partners’ support in this endeavor, and I am very much looking forward to see the positive impact of this partnership in Aborlan, so that we may further scale it in the whole province. Together with the DOE, UNDP remains committed to supporting the acceleration of renewable energy development in the Philippines through our DREAMS Project and our other initiatives,” noted Dr. Selva Ramachandran, UNDP Philippines Resident Representative.
Eric Villar, Acting General Manager of PALECO, which co-leads the maintenance of the solar system and the coordination with the LGU, stressed the importance of the partnership as “electricity is the driver of the economy.”
Also present to witness the MOU signing were Congressman Gil A. Acosta of the 3rd district of the Province of Palawan, Provincial Board Member and Chair of the Palawan Energy Committee Hon. Albert Rama, and Atty. Jefrie Sahagun, Assistant to the Palawan Provincial Governor and representative to the DREAMS Project Steering Committee.
The activation in Sitio Bubusawin is part of the Support Facility for Renewable Energy (SF4RE) of the DREAMS project. SF4RE is a Php 52M facility that supports eligible partners in implementing renewable energy endeavors. The overall goal of SF4RE is to enhance local RE investment by accelerating the deployment of renewable energy systems, and enhancing local capabilities to innovate, create, operate, and maintain these systems.
Consistent with UNDP’s mandate to reach the farthest first, the SF4RE is designed to facilitate the access of at least 20,000 households in far-flung areas to stable sources of renewable energy and generate RE investments or financial support to implement RE applications. The initiative is also envisioned to demonstrate the contribution of RE to economic productivity and climate resilience in the country.
More renewable energy installations under SF4RE are being planned for rollout in Antique Bohol, Capiz, Cagayan Valley, Camarines Sur, Ilocos Norte, Iloilo, Apayao, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Quezon, Eastern Samar throughout 2022.
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