DBM releases P814.4-M for electrification of far-flung villages

In support of government’s poverty alleviation efforts, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P814.4 million to the National Electrification Administration (NEA) for its electrification program in far-flung villages, the DBM said Monday. The fund release has been charged against the Malampaya fund, or the revenues from the deep-water-to-gas project between the government and a private consortium led by Shell Exploration BV, said the DBM in a statement. “This is part of administration’s programs for poverty reduction as it will create a positive impact on the livelihood of the communities," Budget Secretary Florencio Abad explained. DBM data, however, showed that the P814.4 million will provide electricity to only 1,410, or 4.2 percent of 33,370 far-flung areas identified as having no access to electricity. Earlier, the DBM also released P1.62 billion to the National Power Corp. to prevent imminent power shortages in remote areas in the Philippines. Criteria for prioritization Region X, where 184 areas do not have electricity, will get P116 million of the P814.4 million released by the DBM, the agency said. For its 136 areas that do no have electricity, Region V will get P84 million, the DBM added. The agency said the last chunk, P64 million, will go to Region III and benefit 117 areas. “The criteria for prioritization… used by the NEA include accessibility to the project, capability of electric cooperatives to implement projects, peace and order condition, and right of way considerations," the DBM said. For 2012, NEA wants P2.57 billion to implement its electrification projects. — PE VS, GMA News