Energy systems turned over to remote Mindanao villages; more to come

US Ambassador to the Philippines Francis J. Ricciardone Jr. and outgoing Dept. of Energy Secretary Vincent S. Perez Jr. recently turned over 200 newly energized remote barangays to federations of village-based associations, called Barangay Renewable Energy and Community Development Associations (BRECDAs), organized by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Alliance for Mindanao Off-grid Renewable Energy (AMORE) Program in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Western and Central Mindanao.

The BRECDAs will primarily continue the operations and maintenance of the renewable energy (RE) systems that AMORE installed to energize their communities, most of which were donated by Mirant Philippines, the largest private energy producer in the country. Mirant is USAID's major private sector partner to date, having provided 138 communities with solar renewable energy systems during AMORE's first phase and committing to donate more as AMORE enters its second phase. Mirant Phils.' Project Barangay Electrification Assistance for the Countryside (BEACON), amounting to an estimated PhP 1.5 billion and of which more than PhP 100 million has been given to AMORE, is the largest corporate social responsibility program in the country.

Dept. of Energy Undersecretary Cyril del Callar (who will soon take over the helm of the National Power Corporation); USAID/Philippines Mission Director Dr. Michael Yates; Roberto Calingo, Executive Director of Mirant Philippines Foundation; and AMORE Chief of Party Rodrigo Cabrera joined Sec. Perez and Amb. Ricciardone during the turnover ceremonies. The best BRECDAs were cited during the program, as were the public- and private-sector entities and the media organizations that supported AMORE.

The highlight of the ceremonies was the launch of the second five-year phase of AMORE, which will electrify at least another 200 remote, conflict-affected communities in Mindanao, still with renewable energy.

AMORE, which is being implemented by US-based non-profit organization Winrock International in partnership with the Dept. of Energy, the ARMM, and Mirant Philippines, seeks to improve quality of life and thus, promote long-term peace in Mindanao by electrifying remote, conflict-affected villages there with stand-alone, sustainable and clean renewable energy systems from indigenous resources, such as solar and microhydro power systems.