CATBALOGAN, Samar – The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP), this province, favorably recommended through resolution the approval by concerned government agencies of the putting up of the Mini Grid Electrification Project in 22 barangays in four municipalities in Samar.

This information was gathered form the minutes of the regular session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Samar held last January 27, 2005.

The province of Samar has still a hundred Samar mainland seacoast barangays as well as those located in the island municipalities, which had been hankering for electricity to be installed in their barangays, but this could not be complied due to the distance between the island and/or seacoast towns and barangays and Samar mainland which make it impossible to install electrical connections.

The resource that was taken in the electrification of island towns in the past was the installation of electric generating set with adequate capacity to light a specific number of houses.

It is stated in the minute that:

“Hon. Minandro Q. Tiopes reiterated his comments and observations that the generators to be installed shall comply with the Clean Air Act and that provided the Provincial Government of Samar will not be tied-up with monetary considerations in the future.”

It was also reported in the minutes that:

“Hon. Ricafort finally moved to pass a resolution endorsing favorably the Mini Grid Electrification Project of the NPC provided that a generator set to be installed in the municipalities shall comply with the Clean Air Act. There being no objections, the motion was carried.”

The min-grid electrification project include the following barangays in the following municipalities: Catbalogan – Bogongon, Buluan, Canhawan Gote, Cinco, Rama and Mombon, Almagro – Lunang 1 and 2, Biasong 1 and 2, Bacjao, Guinansan, and Mabuhay; Sto Niño – Ilijan, Cabunga-an, Takut and Buenavista; and Tarangnan – Libucan Dacu, Oeste A and Oeste B.

The start and consequently the completion of these electrification projects are eagerly awaited by the barangay residents of these barangays.