Mindanaoans have been granted additional access to sustainable electrification as all electric cooperatives (ECs) involved in the Integration of Productive Uses of Renewable Energy (I-PURE) program delivered on their commitments, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) has reported.

I-PURE is a project funded by the European Union (EU) through its Access to Sustainable Energy Programme (ASEP). NEA serves as one of its key implementing partners in the Philippines, together with the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), and supported by the Department of Energy (DOE).

The three-year project began in the second half of 2021 with primary components along the areas of productive energy use through: 1) livelihood opportunities; 2) sustainable energization of households; and 3) capacity building toward the effective management of renewable energy sources.

According to the NEA Total Electrification and Renewable Energy Development Department (TEREDD), the I-PURE Projects of ECs based in North and South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Tawi-Tawi are completed, or are in the final stages of completion.

Nine projects listed under “Component 1” covered the agriculture and fishing industries in the aforementioned provinces, which have been accomplished within the period of 02 March 2023 to 25 September 2023.

The Component 1 projects include two solar-powered corn processing facilities in the municipalities of Arakan and Kidapawan, as well as a solar-powered rice miller in Tulunan, North Cotabato, all under the service area of Cotabato Electric Cooperative, Inc. (COTELCO).

There are also solar-powered corn and coffee processing facilities in the municipalities of Bagumbayan and Kalamansig, respectively, plus two separate solar-powered water systems in Sen. Ninoy Aquino and Lebak, Sultan Kudarat, which are within the area of the Sultan Kudarat Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SUKELCO).

Another solar-powered water system was likewise installed in Picong, Lanao del Norte by MinDA, with the local government unit and community-based organizations, and a solar-assisted seaweeds dryer in Sitangkai and Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi, courtesy of the Mindanao State University (MSU) Tawi-Tawi.

“Component 2” of the I-PURE project energized 1,500 homes via photovoltaic mainstreaming (PVM) systems implemented through COTELCO; 1,577 PVM households were also electrified through South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SOCOTECO II). These began in December 2021 and were finalized on 30 September 2022.

Meanwhile, around 2,184 homes in East Sibutu and Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi—under the service area of Tawi-Tawi Electric Cooperative, Inc. (TAWELCO)—also stand to benefit in the ongoing Barangay Line Enhancement and Household Electrification project. This is tied to the Renewable Energy Technology for Seaweeds (RETS) value-added project between the EU, MinDA, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and local stakeholders in the said island communities.

“Component 3” of the I-PURE initiative deals with project management, education, and communication-related activities, as well as capacity building programs for people in the beneficiary communities. 

The NEA, ECs, and other organizations involved in the implementation of the I-PURE projects are expected to gather in a closing ceremony to be hosted by SUKELCO in Sultan Kudarat this November to wrap up all deliverables in the program.

The EU-ASEP earmarked a total of EUR 4,499,999.36 (roughly PhP 270.6 Million) to carry out the program aimed at improving the economic and social conditions of families in the most marginalized and disadvantaged communities of Mindanao through alternative and sustainable sources of energy. ###