NewsExpress

WV eyed as country’s renewable energy capital

Western Visayas is projected to be the renewable energy capital of the country, according to the Department of Energy.

Energy Secretary Raphael Perpetuo M. Lotilla, who spoke during the 125th Independence Day celebration at Sta. Barbara town, emphasized the region’s capacity on renewable energy supply. 

According to him, Western Visayas has a hydropower potential of 930 MW, almost 500 MW for solar energy, and around 13,000 MW for wind energy. 

Of this 13,000 MW wind energy potential, the 10,473 MW is going to be offshore and the major part of it is under Iloilo province and neighboring islands of Negros and Guimaras. 

The biggest potential lies in a triangle between southern Mindoro, northern Antique, and northern Palawan. 

Offshore wind power or offshore wind energy refers to the generation of electricity through wind produced from bodies of water, usually at sea.

“We hoped that with the total of 14,000 MW of potential renewable energy supply, we would have sufficient power to energize our development activities,” Lotilla said. 

With this also comes the establishment of the green and transmission system that matches the capacity of renewable energy projects which will be built from 2024 to 2040.

Moreover, the utilization of ports will support the offshore wind industry in the country. 

The DOE chief further said that offshore wind will not be built immediately, however, preparations must be done such as training engineers, skilled people, and those who are going to construct the offshore wind energy.  

“By 2034, the Philippines is projected to join the ranks of $300 trillion economies in Asia, and without power, we will not be able to do that,” Lotilla shared.  

DOE also noted that energy independence is one of the current thrusts of the government, and that the country aims to achieve 100% electrification of all barangays and sitios at the end of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. (PIA-Iloilo)

Securing the safety of local communities against water overflow, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Iloilo 2nd District Engineering Office (DEO) has completed a flood control project along the Jalaur River in Barangay Delgado (Gamma Grande).

The PhP 34.3-million project, funded under the FY 2022 General Appropriations Act (GAA), spans 290 linear meters to address the persistent issue of sudden water rise during heavy rains, which often results to severe flooding affecting flood-prone communities.

Citing from the report District Engineer Allan Rey R. Pajimna, Regional Director Nerie D. Bueno emphasized the project’s crucial role in protecting communities from natural disasters and mitigating damages caused by rapid water overflows.

“The flood control project along Jalaur River in Calinog plays an important role in protecting communities from natural disasters while mitigating damages that may be caused by rapid water overflows,” Director Bueno stated.

“Its design serves as a catch basin for waters coming from the mountains and can withstand the unexpected flow of floodwater,” added RD Bueno.

The completion of the flood control project brings relief to residents of Barangay Delgado, who experienced from the devastating effects of frequent flooding for many years.

Furthermore, the project aims to enhance the community’s resilience against heavy rainfall and ensure residents’ safety during extreme weather conditions.

District Engineer Pajimna expressed gratitude to the local community for their cooperation and patience throughout the project. He emphasized that the successful completion of the flood control project was a collective effort and a testament to the strong partnership between DPWH Iloilo 2nd DEO and the community it serves.

With the project’s completion, the residents will be protected and secured, knowing their community is better equipped to withstand heavy rains and rising water levels.

The successful implementation of the flood control project underscores the Department’s dedication to ensuring the safety and well-being of its people in the face of environmental challenges. (DPWH-VI)

By Vincent P. Grecia

Poor families will no longer get hungry as the government is planning to give them food stamps that could be used to access food for free.

About one million poor families are expected to benefit from “Walang Gutom 2027 Food Stamp program” of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) which is set to pilot run in July this year.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said that the food stamp program aims to provide food augmentation to the bottom 1 million households from Listahanan 3 who belong to the food poor criteria as defined by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The program, he added, is currently in the design phase and they target to roll out the pilot implementation by July to December this year. It would be funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) through grants amounting to US$3 million.

The pilot implementation will initially cover 3,000 poorest of the poor families.

 “We have to do the pilot at 3,000 families; 300,000 hopefully next year sa first run; another 300,000 right after and then hopefully, reach the magic number of one million in the succeeding year,” Sec. Gatchalian said.

Target beneficiaries or those families whose income does not go beyond P8,000 a month will be given electronic benefit card or ‘tap cards’ which will be loaded with food credits amounting to P3,000.

The tap cards could be used by the beneficiaries to “purchase a select list of food commodities from DSWD-accredited local retailers.”

Gatchalian also clarified that the tap cards will not be loaded with money but will instead be loaded with food equivalent. He added that the Social Welfare department is working with the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) in crafting the program.

“The baskets of goods are always composed of 50% carbs, 30% protein, 20% fats. So mamimili ka lang within the food groups. Let’s say you go to accredited partner retailer. You get to choose lang from a selected list of food items in that food group. So, kung carbs, it’s either rice or whatever you may have. Hindi ito tipong cash na ibibigay natin,” he said.

The program will also be conditional and have a ‘work component.’ This means that those who will sign up would be required to seek employment in order to continue receiving the benefit.

“Ang condition nga doon is when you signed up, you have to go to the nearest public employment office, get a certification that you are now partaking, being counted as part of the workforce no matter what job it is,” Gatchalian emphasized.

He pointed out that the agency will continuously measure and monitor the beneficiaries in the regions that it has identified throughout the program.

DSWD hoped that through the program, the country will be able to combat hunger and achieve food security towards the realization of a zero hunger Philippines. (with reports PIA)

The Department of Agriculture (DA) Western Visayas’ top officials, project managers, and implementers convened on May 23 to 24 in Iloilo City for the joint Field Operations Division Review to evaluate the progress of their first-quarter objectives, assuring stakeholders from the provinces that it will continuously advance food security efforts.

Regional Executive Director Engr. Jose Albert Barrogo emphasized that all programs, activities, and projects of the agency should be anchored on its primary aim of modernizing the climate-smart, crisis-resilient, knowledge-based, and transformative agriculture sector as mandated in the five-year Philippine Development Plan of the National Economic Development Authority.

“As we pursue our strategic goals centered on ensuring food security, I am reminding our project coordinators in the regional office and our counterparts in the provinces to focus our interventions and funding on our identified priority commodities for competitive production and marketing both in the national and international levels,” said Director Barrogo.

He added that the project planners should adopt the Philippine Development Plan as a guide in harmonizing the local initiatives with the national plans and objectives. Furthermore, integrating value chain analysis and the Provincial Commodity Investment Plans should also serve as a reference for crafting the region’s programs, projects, and services.

On the other hand, Farmer Director Buen Mondejar, who have been monitoring the projects regionwide, advised DA banner program coordinators to consider proper interventions recording and strengthening the Regional Technical Working (RTWG) in preparing correct and detailed specifications of inputs and equipment to avoid unnecessary delay in procurement.

As a cost-efficient strategy, Mondejar also suggested that DA’s Research Outreach Stations should propagate grafted seedlings of cacao and other high-value commodities for dispersal to farmers and farmers’ groups.

Focal persons and report officers of the DA Rice, Corn, High Value Crops, Livestock, and Organic Agriculture Programs have reported their industry situation in terms of the production performance and inventory of the commodities as well as the implementation status of the 2023 targeted projects as of the first quarter.

FOD’s officer-in-charge Ester Ruth Torreverde said they divided participants into breakout sessions where banner program coordinators and their representatives brainstormed with the RTWG members and came up with the appropriate policies and actions to expedite the project implementation and to resolve challenges and key issues encountered on the ground.

To update local agricultural intermediaries across the region regarding new policies and programs for individual and farmers associations and cooperatives (FCAs), the accomplishment review also highlighted the presentations of project implementers from the DA, its attached bureaus, and line agencies.

Dr. Pacifico Lumawag of the DA Regulatory Division tackled recent updates of the African Swine Fever crisis management actions as well as the preventive measures being carried out by the department and LGUs to stop the incidence of Avian Influenza. Meanwhile, Dr. John Roel Hilario of the Bureau of Animal Industry enumerated the guidelines in the local transport and shipment of animals, animal products, and its by products within and outside the region.

Engr. Jimmy Eledia of the DA Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Unit informed stakeholders of the Department of Science and Technology PAGASA Climate Outlook and the DA’s strategic plans to mitigate the effects of the impending El Niño phenomenon to crops, livestock and fishery sectors.

Steve Cordero of the National Irrigation Administration Region 6 assured stakeholders that the Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project II is nearing completion and will soon provide sufficient irrigation water to boost the crop production and yield particularly of farmers cultivating palay in Iloilo province.

Jean Salisna of the Philippine Coconut Authority stressed that only farmers enrolled in the National Coconut Farmers’ Registry System can benefit from the programs and initiatives of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan which is consists of the social protection, farmers organization and development, hybridization, community-based farm enterprise development, among other interventions.

Jola Lyn Tingson of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) explained the commission’s Memorandum Circular No., series of 2023 which grants Amnesty for Non-filing and Late Filing of the General Information Sheet (GIS) and Annual Financial Statement (AFS), and Non-Compliance with Memorandum Circular No. 28, Series of 2020 (MC 28). The commission’s efforts to encourage its regulated entities to comply with the reportorial requirements under Republic Act No. 11232, or the Revised Corporation Code, include amnesty, which will take the form of a waiver or reduction of fines.

On the other hand, DA’s Regional Technical Director Zarlina Cuello thanked the provincial and municipal agriculturist and veterinarians for their continuous support in accomplishing the projects of the department. She also pledged to provide the support needed to respond to the contemporary challenges of the farmers through research and development undertakings. (SMHToreno/ DA-RAFIS)