TUGUEGARAO CITY — The coastal Calayan town in Cagayan will get a 24/7 solar-powered electricity panels after Typhoon Ompong nearly wiped out electrical cables and farm crops, and destroyed houses and infrastructure facilities.
Solar Para sa Bayan (SPSB), a non-government solar power company, received the nod of the Department of Energy and approval of council resolutions from at least 20 towns in Luzon, including Calayan in Cagayan for the implementation of the project.
“We are grateful for the support of more than 20 towns, including Calayan, that had already passed resolutions endorsing the solar project as an alternative choice for cheap, clean, reliable electricity, at zero cost to government,” SPSB President Leandro Leviste told reporters on Wednesday.
The SPSB established a mini-grid to bring 24/7 power for the first time in the town’s history, to help the town recover from the typhoon’s devastation, Leviste added.
“This is simply done through measures to allow real competition in the power industry, no Filipino should suffer from poor electric service ever again,” he added.
“This project is a long-term one but this is what they need most in Calayan — a solar-powered electricity,” which would be a big boost on the morale of the villagers, Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
Villagers will have to pay a minimal fee which will be based on the number of users.
Aside from Calayan in Cagayan, the towns of Dingalan in Aurora, Claveria in Masbate, Dumaran in Palawan and Lubang in Occidental Mindoro were among the 200,000 solar power recipients.
The company has been working to extend its services to more towns in Cagayan where the local electric utility has yet to restore power since the typhoon hit the area more than two weeks ago. (Bill Visaya/PNA)
