24,000 households getting solar energy in Philippines

Laurie B. Navarro, AMORE head, said the group is pushing a rural electrification program that energizes remote households using renewable energy systems such as solar and mini-grid.

Navarro said the electrification program is on its third phase which ends in 2013. It started in 2009, targeting beneficiaries in the barangays.

“On its third phase, we are now more focusing to provide power supply using renewable energy systems to the households. Even if we already provided electrification to some barangays, thousands of households living in those areas still lack access to electricity,” she said.

During the first and second phase of AMORE in 2002, the alliance was able to cater to 482 barangays in Mindanao with about 14,000 families who benefited under the program.

She said in Davao City alone, about 100 more households were recently provided with solar power systems in Barangays Bantol and Magsaysay in Marilog District. More than 400 families lack direct access of electricity in the area.

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