Napocor gets P100M for watershed projects

MANILA, Philippines—State-run National Power Corp. (Napocor) has been allowed by regulators to draw P100.55 million from the funds raised through the imposition of universal charges on electricity users to finance the rehabilitation and protection of 11 critical watershed reservations across the country.

The Energy Regulatory Commission has directed state-run Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) to release the necessary funds, which were being taken from the universal charge component in a power bill. Every grid-connected consumer pays 25 centavos per kilowatt-hour monthly, representing the universal charge for environment and watershed rehabilitation and management (UC-EWRM).

According to the ERC, the funds pooled from the UC-EWRM stood at P703.5 million as of end-September 2011. This means PSALM has sufficient resources to fund Napocor’s Watershed Plan 5.

The approved amount of P100.55 million for this plan, however, was slightly lower than the P112.17 million initially sought by the state agency.

Of the total amount, P15.93 million will be for the Lake Lanao-Agus watershed program, which involves its rehabilitation and protection, and the enhancement of the vegetative cover in the area to increase water yield, minimize soil erosion and promote biodiversity conservation.

Another P14 million will be used for the Upper Agno watershed project, which covers the rehabilitation of denuded and highly eroded watershed areas where forest and grass fires usually occur especially during the summer months.

The rehabilitation of and infrastructure spending for the Magat watershed will get P10.77 million. This project is meant to address soil erosion and siltation problems within the immediate periphery of the reservoir.