The National Electrification Administration (NEA) inaugurated the one-megawatt (1MW) rehabilitated Amanjuray mini-hydropower plant of the Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ESAMELCO) which the state-owned corporation originally constructed 33 years ago.

NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda traveled to Lawaan, Eastern Samar with House Minority Leader and 4Ps partylist Rep. Marcelino Libanan on Tuesday, 20 February 2024, to attend the ceremonial blessing organized by ESAMELCO.

Almeda thanked the power co-op under the leadership of General Manager Jose Michael Edwin Amancio and Board President Reynaldo Gerna for developing this renewable energy-based project, ensuring that the investment of the NEA in this facility back in the day was never put to waste. 

“Napakaganda hong makita at marinig na ang isang kooperatiba ay meron sariling power source… Sa inyo na ‘yan, habang buhay niyo nang pakikinabangan ‘yan (It is heartening to see and hear that a cooperative has its own power source… This is yours already, take advantage of it for life),” he said.

The plant was commissioned in 1991 after NEA initiated its construction through a grant from the United Kingdom. It generates energy from the Amanjuray Falls, which are distributed to electricity consumers in the municipalities of Lawaan and Balangiga, Eastern Samar.

Administrator Almeda also inaugurated on the same day the new 20MVA substation of ESAMELCO, which was located near its headquarters in Borongan City. It was constructed to serve the increasing power demand of member-consumer-owners in the area as well as the neighboring municipalities of Balangkayan, Maydolong, San Julian, Llorente and Sulat.

ESAMELCO serves a total of 597 barangays in Eastern Samar and has an estimated customer base of around 117,443. The cooperative operates and maintains over 2,101 kilometers of distribution lines and has a peak load demand of 23 megawatts, according to updated reports. ###