The European Union (EU), in partnership with the World Bank and state-run National Power Corporation (Napocor), had completed the P1 billion electrification project for roughly 30,500 households in remote villages of Mindanao via the deployment of solar home systems (SHS) technology.
According to the EU, the beneficiary-households are families in the far-flung areas of Bukidnon, Sultan Kudarat, Davao del Sur, Cotabato and South Cotabato.
The funding for the Mindanao solar home systems’ electrification amounted to 18.4 million euros or roughly P1.06 billion – and that had been part of the 66 million euros financing funneled via the Access to Sustainable Energy Programme (ASEP) that had been implemented by the EU for the Philippines.
As emphasized by Christoph Wagner, head of Cooperation of the EU delegation to the Philippines, the European organization is “committed to supporting the Philippines’ thrust to promote renewable energy and improve energy access.”
The World Bank, in particular, had previously listed the Philippines as of the countries in the Southeast Asian region that has been fledgling when it comes to providing energy access – primarily to its citizens who are residing in dim and distant jurisdictions.
Wagner highlighted that the EU’s resolve on energizing outlying areas in Mindanao serves as a top-tier accomplishment, because it entails not just financing a noble action but it is also about “reaching vulnerable and isolated communities directly, providing solution to a basic need such as access to electricity.”
The European organization stated “the work on the electrification of households in remote villages in Mindanao has been implemented since 2019 by Napocor, with the technical support of the World Bank.”
Prior to the newly completed electrification undertaking, the EU conveyed that the initial phase already concretized the energization of at least 10,000 households with a funding from the Global Partnership on Output-based Aid (GPOBA), which is being managed by the World Bank.
Ndiamé Diop, country director of the World Bank for the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Thailand, noted that “there are still more than 1.0 million households in the Philippines without access to electricity – most of them in remote and isolated regions or islands of Mindanao.”
He underscored that “government leadership, public financing and off-grid renewable energy solutions are critical to bring electricity to these remote and impoverished households and communities.”
By far, it was pointed out that SHS technology is viable for deployment in providing electricity access to highly inaccessible areas; and these could also be mainstreamed into the systems of electric cooperatives – including those on connection, billing, collection, operation and maintenance.
“With the formal turnover of the SHS equipment, the beneficiary-households now become member-consumer-owner of the ECs and will have the same rights and obligations as those connected in the electric cooperatives’ distribution system,” the EU stressed.