Solar home grants, energy and transport ventures topbills Aquino end term projects

Manila: A grant for households in rural areas to install solar energy systems as well as major airport and elevated commuter railway projects, complete the list of projects planned for the remaining months of the Aquino administration.

According to Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) has approved five major projects totalling P131.4 billion (Dh10.31 billion) for implementation during the remainder of President Benigno Aquino III’s six year term in office.

NEDA is the Philippines’ premier socio-economic planning body and as such maps out the path the country will take in terms of development.

The P4.8 billion (Dh376 million) grant to light up homes using solar energy will see the installation of renewable energy systems in residences in rural areas, especially those in remote places that are far from the energy grid.

Renewable energy resources development is part of the country’s low emissions capacity building strategy outlined under the Philippines’ 2008 law governing Renewable Energy.

The, strategy, which aims to address the challenges of climate change, energy security and access to electricity, is a big leap from fragmented and halting Renewable Energy initiatives of previous years. It harmonises various initiatives and focuses on providing energy that is not dependent on fossil fuels.

Likewise, the grant will also fund rural power generation facilities and will provide technical assistance to the National Electrification Administration and the Energy Regulatory Commission, and electric cooperatives.

According to Coloma, this particular grant package will be partially funded by a P2.82 billion (Dh221 million) fund provided by the European Union with the balance to be sourced from the national budget.

“The focal point for capacity building is the development of pro-poor, disaster-resilient solutions,” Coloma said.

Aside from the energy projects, the government also approved the construction of the passenger terminal building as part of the P15.3 billion (Dh1.2 billion) Clark International Airport expansion in Central Luzon and the P3.5 billion (Dh274 million)) Naga airport development project in Camarines Sur.

For Metro Manila, the board also approved the P64.7 billion construction of the 19-kilometre elevated rail facility, the Light Railway Transit (LRT) Line 6.

This particular train facility will extend the current LRT 1 which ends in Pasay City’s Baclaran district, all the way southwards to Imus and Dasmarinas in Cavite province.

The project, which is expected to drastically cut travel time, is a public-private partnership (PPP) initiative.

The NEDA also approved the construction of the LRT Line 4 which will connect with the Ortigas district in Eastern Metro Manila to areas further east to Taytay City in Rizal province.

Coloma said that with only eight months remaining in Aquino’s term, it is not expected to that these projects would be finished at anytime soon but he said, the roadmap for development involving these plans had already been laid out for the succeeding leadership.

The Philippines will elect its next set of national leaders, including the President and Vice President, by May 2016.