Western Visayas to attain 100% electrification this year, says DOE
With only three barangays left, Western Visayas will attain 100% electrification this year.
This was disclosed by Engr. Rey Maleza of the Department of Energy-Visayas during the PIA-Cable Television program, recently.
Maleza said that the three barangays are located in the province of Aklan, and stressed that they will be doing their best to bring the benefit of electricity to the said barangays within this year.
He said the provinces of Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo and Negros Occidental are 100% energized.
Rural electrification is one of the priority concerns of the Arroyo administration as stipulated in the 10-point agenda of the President Arroyo.
The Government strongly believes that provision of electric services will yield more opportunities for improved quality of life, greater access to basic services and better infrastructure for rural development. Rural electrification therefore, is greatly directed towards socio-economic growth of the marginalized sectors, the fisher folks and farmers living in remote, far-flung, and un-electrified barangays of the country.
Maleza said during the PIA-CATV program that barangay electrification level in the country is now recorded at 99.47%.
Per the DOE record Luzon has attained 99.49% electrification; Visayas 99.66% and Mindanao-98.95%. The country has only 215 remaining unenergized Barangays.
The DOE said that one of the development challenges in the rural electrification program is “constraints in reaching out “last-mile” barangays as well as operational and procedural delays that affect project completion.
The DOE also said that they will implement innovative service delivery mechanisms to increase household connections.
About 90 percent household electrification is targeted in the entire country by 2017. (PIA6/T.Villavert)
