DOE sets aside P200M to power up Muslim Mindanao

The Department of Energy has set aside P200 million to provide electricity in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), as part of the government’s efforts to beef up its development initiatives in the region.

According to Energy Undersecretary Josefina Patricia M. Asirit, the P200-million allocation is expected to power up 246 sitios, affecting close to 2,000 households in the ARMM provinces by yearend.

The electrification project is being undertaken in partnership with the local and provincial governments and the seven electric cooperatives that distribute power in the provinces of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur.

As of September 2012, roughly 70 percent of the project has already been completed, Asirit reported.

The government believes that providing electricity will help in ensuring “inclusive growth” of Filipinos, even those living in the far-flung and remote areas in the country, the energy official explained.

The government’s aggressive and renewed thrust toward electrification is rooted in the belief that electricity will stimulate economic growth in the rural areas where it is needed the most.

By providing access to electricity and power, rural residents are also given a chance to have better access to education, livelihood and a brighter future. This situation, likewise, will create a more dynamic distribution of resources in the country.

Over the next five years, the DOE is prepared to spend a staggering P33 billion to provide electricity to at least 90 percent of households throughout the country.  Amy R. Remo