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CENTRAL VISAYAS
DOE powers four off-grid areas through solar technology by Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, Oct. 26 (PIA) -- The Department of Energy (DOE) is now implementing the solar home system technology to bring light to four off-grid sitios in Visayas and Mindanao.
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total of 233 households IS benefitting from the solar power in offgrid sites located in the following areas: Samal Island, Davao; Pandan, Antique; Makato, Aklan; and Manalo, Palawan. “These areas are not connected to the country’s power grid so they do not have access to electricity,” said Rosalie Joan Sotelo, senior science research specialist of DOE’s Energy Efficiency and
Conservation Division, in an interview during an energy-related forum held recently in Dumaguete City. The off-grid residential lighting is implemented under the Philippine Energy Efficiency Project (PEEP) funded by a loan from the Asian Development Bank. The solar system is composed of a solar panel, a storage battery and three lamps, collectively costing P28,000, said Sotelo.
“DOE also shoulders the installation costs and the maintenance training for the household owners,” she added. The households are equipped with low-wattage light emitting diodes. Households benefiting from said project are also enjoying the benefits of having no power bills to pay.. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
Siquijor PNP launches ‘Coco Trees in All Idle Lots’ within camp, neighboring barangays SIQUIJOR, Oct. 26 (PIA) -- The Siquijor Police Provincial Office (SPPO) recently launched the “Coco Trees in All Idle Lots” program with nearly 500 coconut trees planted within the camp at Caipilan, Siquijor.
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PPO provincial director, Police Senior Superintendent Ernesto Fuentes Agas said the project is in line with the PNP Green Police Program and in connection with the 19th Children’s Month Celebration in October. Siquijor P rovin cial Coc onut Development Manager Medel Panzo was the guest of honor and speaker during the activity. Panzo stressed the importance of
the coconut tree as it is called “tree of life”. The SPPO invited elementary, secondary and college students, teachers and barangay officials of the neighboring barangays to participate in the coco tree planting as a way to establish camaraderie among them. Agas said, the project shall be done in four phases. The target is to plant about 400-500 coconut trees around the Camp
in idle lots along the peripheral fence. According to Agas, under Phase I they have planted 100 coco seedlings. This will be replicated in all Municipal Police Stations in close coordination with the barangay captains thru the PNP personnel assigned as conduits in each barangay. With the consent of owner and occupants, all idle private or public lots shall be planted with trees, Agas concluded. (PIA-7 & SPPO)
Bohol opens ‘Adopt a Road’ for local PPP engagements by Rey Anthony Chiu
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Oct. 25 (PIA) -- Confronted with the daunting task of maintaining local roads more times as long as the national roads in Bohol, Capitol officials presented an undertaking to promote public involvement in the management of provincial roads.
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he Provincial Capitol launched “Adopt a Road Program as a highlight of the Second Provincial Road Summit recently. The Adopt a Road Program is the latest innovation in convergence and participatory governance while advancing convergence in resources; one of Bohol’s newest key areas now eyed for replication nationwide. With no luxury of funds enough to finance its provincial roads, which are mostly arterial access leading to alternate tourist circuits and destinations, Capitol also is cognizant how these roads links these areas to the flow of economic activity tourism and overall development pond brings about here. With the problem, the Provincial
Government believes promoting public involvement and care of local roads through Adopt a Road could be the solution. PRMF is a five year (2009-2014) institutional reforms and governance program using the road sector as an entry point and is funded by the Australian Aid Program, PPDO said. The program provides an opportunity for the public and private sectors to play part in realizing the provincial road network vision, explains Atty. John Vistal, Bohol Planning and Development Officer. Organizations and groups are encouraged to put in their resources, which may not necessarily be huge funds needed for road repairs buy anything that advances the aim of maintaining 833.77
kilometers of provincial roads. According to Vistal, partnership engagements include maintenance and safety work which could be adopted by local communities. The work scopes include manual road maintenance in the form of vegetation control, road clean-up and re-gravelling as well as the easy enforcement of road safety rules and regulations. Other areas of engagements include information and education where raising public awareness is the primary goal. Ideal engagements are academes which could educate people on road maintenance, road safety and road integrity agenda, he added .(RAC/Bohol PIA)