State-owned National Power Corp. (Napocor) has opened its first mini-grid in Palawan, providing electricity to 130 initial households in Nangalao, Linapacan.
Napocor has allotted an 80-kW set with eight hours of electricity to the community of 170 more potential households, and will add more capacities depending on the growing demand.
“The community’s main source of livelihood is fishing. Now with electricity, we wish to bring tourism in the picture since the island has huge potential in attracting tourists,” Napocor President and CEO Pio J. Benavidez said.
The project is part of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed between Napocor and the provincial government of Palawan.
Under the MOA, Napocor will provide generating sets, fuel, and manpower. The Palawan government will provide the powerhouse and plant site.
“The provincial government also provided the distribution line in Nangalao which helped us expedite the energization of the area,” Benavidez said.
Linapacan is an island municipality in the south of the Calamian Group of Islands, which remains to be one of the many undiscovered paradise in the Philippines.
Three more areas are scheduled to be electrified this year namely, Barangays Casian, Paly, and Beyton in Taytay. The remaining barangays, Tara in Coron, Concepcion in Agutaya, and Bancalan 1 and 2 in Balabac are scheduled to be energized in 2019.
On the other hand, Napocor has recently provided 24/7 power to its diesel power plants in Tagapul-an in Samar, Balut in Davao Occidental, Almagro in Samar, and Cabul-an in Bohol, electrifying a total of 2,900 households.
