300 more households energized in Davao City’s tribal barangay

DAVAO CITY—Another tribal community in northern Davao City has been connected to the power grid, energizing 300 households of the mixed Ata tribe and non-tribal settlers, the Davao Light and Power Co., Inc. (Davao Light), said.

The Aboitiz Power subsidiary said it energized 10 sitios and lighted more than 300 homes in Barangay Malabog, Paquibato District.

It said it conducted the ceremonial switch-on at the barangay gymnasium last May and it was participated by officials of the Davao Light, officials from the city government, the barangay council, and residents of the barangay.

The company quoted barangay chairman Jessielito Areja as saying that 90 percent of the sitios of his barangay had been energized. “Even the sitios with no constructed roads yet now have electricity,” he said.

A resident the company identified only as Julius of Sitio Taloytoy said work productivity has since improved. “Since it becomes too dark in the evenings, we need to eat dinner by five o’clock so we retire from working in our fields at 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon. Now that we have electricity, we’re able to adjust our work hours. Now, we can tend to our fields until five o’clock.”

He said that some families were now able to buy groceries in bulk because they electricity to power up their refrigerators.

Marlyn, a food vendor in the nearby elementary school in Sitio KTC said they were able to earn extra money from selling iced water to students. She also said her family already bought a refrigerator to keep their ingredients fresh, when before the food they sell would get spoiled without a refrigerator.

Lilia, a resident of Sitio Binaton mentioned the benefits of having electricity now for a farmer like her who sells her harvested vegetables in Panabo and Bankerohan Market.

“We’d start packing the vegetables early in the morning and then deliver them by seven o’clock in the evening. Otherwise, we need to deliver them early in the morning as there was no electricity and the roads were not fully constructed yet at that time,” she said in an interview.

The Sitio Electrification Project of Davao Light is currently 99 percent completed. It said it aims to energize sitios through ongrid electrification by connecting far-flung communities to the power grid.

Taking the “smell” of the youth spirit into consideration, we will have to look at some numbers:

The Department of Education targets 29 million enrollees this school year. The high school students are dreaming already about the next steps: college or employment. We in business have to catch those heading for employment.

There is no doubt that education must intensify and broaden the need to educate all its people. No longer will it suffice to educate a tiny elite that will then manage and direct the politics, the economy, and the culture of the many.

Development will require not only a corps of highly skilled individuals capable of absorbing advance technology; it will also

Let’s also realize that without bringing back robust internship programs, many firms may find themselves without a pool of qualified employees for entry-level positions. “Dual Tech” was and still is a program that needs to be made use of. Internships are the special entry point to a top-tier workforce; I am aware of companies that have developed special programs in which a relatively short internship leads to employment with attractive remuneration.

In conclusion, let me repeat—again— the wise words of Ramon del Rosario, chairman of Philippine Business for Education: “It’s the private sector that is creating the jobs. But government has to create an enabling environment for the jobs to be created!”

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NGCP vows completion of transmission projects, quick shift to renewable energy

THE National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) on Monday night made a commitment to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to concentrate all available resources for the completion of ongoing transmission projects.

NGCP also said it will work with partner State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) to hasten the transition to renewable energy (RE) sources. “The collaboration with SGCC allows NGCP to accommodate the increasing adoption of renewable energy technologies into the national grid,” the grid operator said.

NGCP also prioritized improving disaster resilience of the grid infrastructure. It vowed to intensify its ongoing and continuous upgrade of equipment and manpower, especially those that will prevent disruptions, or provide expedient repair, in case of natural disasters.

“We agree with the President’s sentiments.

Even before the SONA, NGCP has already been working towards the vision that he mentioned,” said Anthony Almeda, NGCP’s president and CEO, said “After hearing it straight from him—his vision that is completely aligned with ours—we know we are on the right track and we’re more motivated to complete all our objectives in a prompt manner,” he added.

Among the top priorities on NGCP’s agenda are the swift completion of the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP) and Stage 3 of the Cebu-NegrosPanay Interconnection Project (CNP). Both crucial projects have been partially energized, with the MVIP on track to be fully energized to 450 megawatts (MW) by the third quarter of this year.

To expedite these projects, NGCP called upon all local government units to extend essential support by promptly granting relevant permits and providing necessary assistance in addressing right-of-way issues that have hindered the smooth implementation of these projects.

“We reiterate our call for what the President termed as a ‘cohesive, centralized, and systematic approach’ to planning, including that for energy for stability, resiliency, and independence. We echo the President’s observation that while national goals are all within reach, ‘this will require not just the work of a single person or a single branch of government nor even the whole government acting alone, but the collective efforts achieved only by all Filipinos working together,’” NGCP said.

Lenie Lectura