GENERAL SANTOS CITY—The national government has approved the release of around P76 million for the energization of upland communities in three municipalities in South Cotabato.
Engineer Santiago Tudio, general manager of the South Cotabato 1 Electric Cooperative (Socoteco), said Wednesday the initiative is part of the continuing expansion in the province of the government’s flagship Sitio Electrification Program.
He said they have started the ground works for the project, which will cover 35 sitios in the municipalities of Lake Sebu, Sto. Niño and Surallah.
It will involve the installation of around 64 kilometers electric distribution lines in 25 sitios in Barangay Ned in Lake Sebu, four sitios in Sto. Niño, and six sitios in Barangay Upper Sepaka in Surallah.
“This project is considered as the single biggest one-time project under SEP,” Tudio said in an interview.
Tudio said National Electrification Administration has issued the go-signal to the cooperative to begin the full implementation of the project, which is due for completion by the second half of the year.
The government had tapped local electric cooperatives as the main implementers of the SEP, with the Department of Energy, and the NEA as supervising agencies.
South Cotabato second district Rep. Ferdinand Hernandez lauded the NEA and other national government agencies for endorsing the project’s funding and implementation.
He said the project initially appeared “too costly” when it was first presented during budget deliberations at the House of Representatives.
Under the SEP, Hernandez said each sitio or community-beneficiary is only allowed a budget of P2 million.
“But we were able to convince Congress and concerned national agencies that this is a vital project and will impact other priority initiatives of the province,” he said.
He specifically cited the expansion in Barangay Ned, which is considered as the province’s farthest barangay.
Hernandez added that the opening of electrical lines will mainly hasten the ongoing road upgrading and concreting projects in Barangay Ned.
Tudio said that through the project, about half or 2,000 of Barangay Ned’s 4,000 households will be installed with electric lines.
“This will eventually provide children in these areas equal playing field and the same level of convenience as to the people living in the urban areas,” he added.