TUGUEGARAO CITY — Calayan, a coastal town in Cagayan province, would soon be served with electricity generated by solar panels to help its residents recover from the impact of Typhoon “Ompong” (international name: Mangkhut) last month.
At a media briefing on Wednesday, Leandro Leviste, president of clean energy advocate Solar Para sa Bayan, said that his group had put up a 320-kilowatt power grid to energize Calayan, which was still recovering from crop and infrastructure losses.
Calayan has 16,702 residents.
Calayan town may be reached via a five-hour boat ride from the Aparri port.
Power, telecom down
Both power and communications have yet to be restored there, more than two weeks after Ompong pummeled Cagayan.
Leviste said the Calayan project helps promote solar energy to the countryside, as an “alternative choice for cheap, clean, reliable electricity at zero cost to government.”
Aside from Calayan, Solar Para sa Bayan has been serving Dingalan town in Aurora, Claveria town in Masbate, Dumaran town in Palawan and Lubang town in Occidental Mindoro.
Solar Para sa Bayan planned to extend its services to more towns with no electricity in Cagayan, according to Leviste.
Long-term
The Calayan solar project would be a long-term venture, Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba said.
Solar Para sa Bayan was recently granted approval to set up and manage solar power infrastructure by the Department of Energy (DOE) and has been endorsed by at least 20 towns in Luzon, including Calayan.
On Wednesday, the DOE expressed support for a legislative franchise for Solar Para sa Bayan.
“To me that is a positive disruptive activity,” said Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi.
Solar Para sa Bayan had applied for a nonexclusive franchise to extend its services to other parts of the country which want an alternative to fossil fuel-based electricity.
Cusi said a franchise for solar power would help hasten the government’s goal of providing electricity to 2 million households.