Micro-hydro plant lights up Shariff Kabunsuan villages

KORONADAL CITY, Philippines - At least 100 households in two villages of former war-torn Buldon town in Shariff Kabunsuan province are now benefiting from a 35-kilowatt micro-hydro plant worth P7.4 million. The facility was constructed by the Alliance for Mindanao Off-Grid Renewable Energy (Amore), a program funded by the United States Agency for International Development. Theresa C. Capella, Amore chief, said they utilized the Kumaguingking River in Barangay Karim as hydropower source. "It is easy to install and operate, and is cheap and sustainable. With the renewable energy law in place, more rivers can be tapped to help poor families in remote villages have access to light," she said. The micro-hydro power facility, mainly designed for lighting only, will benefit households in the villages of Karim and Minabay and was formally inaugurated recently. Datu Zamzamin L. Ampatuan, undersecretary of the Department of Energy, said the government could save billions of pesos if it collaborates with private groups such as Amore in electrifying far-flung areas using renewable resources solar, wind, hydro, and biomass. — Romer S. Sarmiento, BusinessWorld