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| Written by Paul Anthony A. Isla / Reporter |
| Tuesday, 12 May 2009 18:36 |
USING energy the sun radiates, Japanese-led Solutions Using Renewable Energy Inc. (Sure) has energized three remote communities in Kalinga province.
In a statement, Sure said it was tapped to use solar power for the energy needs of the three barangays in Pinukpuk, Kalinga, as the mountain villages are far from the nearest transmission lines.
Sure has implemented the Pinukpuk lighting program in coordination with Kapit-bisig Laban sa Kahirapan–Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDDS), a nongovernment organization involved in poverty alleviation.
Connecting barangays Asibanglan, Limos and Ba-ay in Pinukpuk to the Luzon power grid “is not feasible at this time due to the huge cost involved,” lawyer Clarence de Guia, Sure spokesman, explained.
Pinukpuk is a municipality in Kalinga province, 530 kilometers north of Manila and three to four hours’ drive from the provincial capital of Tabuk. The nearest transmission line to Pinukpuk is about 7 km away.
“Solar power offers the best alternative in this situation, because the barangays are off-grid locations. Moreover, solar energy is environment-friendly; it creates no toxic carbon emissions, which may upset Kalinga’s ecosystem,” said de Guia.
Early this month Sure completed the first phase of its program for the barangays, which required the immediate distribution of 440 units of 12-watt solar panels. Each carries a 7-watt compact fluorescent lantern and a 12V/7AH battery.
Sure said the distribution comes under a subsidized financing program.
The second and last phase of Sure’s contract requires the firm to set up a solar-powered recharging station in each of the three barangays, which will allow the recharging of cellular phones, laptops, television sets, flashlights and handheld radio sets, powered by rechargeable batteries.
“Most of these gadgets are considered rarities in the barangays, and their absence contributes to the area’s isolation,” pointed out Roderick Dumallig, a Kalahi-CIDDS community worker, adding that the use of modern devices will break the isolation of the villages from the rest of the world.
Sure said both phases of the project cost only P2.93 million, which is a fraction of the investments needed to connect the barangays to the Luzon power grid.
“The use of lanterns has an immediate impact on the barangays by extending the productive hours of the residents, many of whom are farmers and handicraft makers,” Dumallig said.
According to Dumallig, residents usually stop working at dusk as kerosone lamps and candles did not provide sufficient lighting.
That was before the solar-powered lanterns arrived. Dumallig said the solar panels also helped residents save on expenses for candles and kerosene.
“Before the introduction of solar power, the recipients, who earn between P500 to P1,000 a month, spent half of their income on kerosene and candles,” he added.
“Now, they devote more time to their handicraft business, and they save more of their income from the cottage industry for their other needs,” Dumallig noted.
“The solar-powered lanterns also have allowed the children to focus longer on their home works. And we expect the kids to learn their lessons faster than before with the use of the solar lanterns,” Dumallig said.
Business Mirror:http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/regions/10170-solar-power-lights-up-kalinga-villages.html
