TAGUIG CITY – The Department of Energy (DOE), in partnership with TeaM Energy, through its corporate social responsibility arm TeaM Energy Foundation, Inc. (TEFI), the European Union-Access to Sustainable Energy Program (EU-ASEP), the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Sual, Pangasinan, and the Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative (CENPELCO) will hold a Ceremonial Switch On on the Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE) project tomorrow (4 October) at the F1 Hotel Manila in Bonifacio Global City.
DOE Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi emphasized, “While the Department is pushing forward in providing electricity throughout the entire archipelago by 2020, Productive Use of RE or PURE project does not only bring us closer to our common goal of total electrification, but also in further upholding the welfare of our countrymen in the rural areas.”
PURE Project will provide rice farmers in Barangay Sioasio East in Sual, Pangasinan, a rice milling center, which will include a palay dehusker, a winnower and a de-stoner. It also includes a sewing machine for making sacks for palay and milled rice.
The set of milling equipment powered by a 2.0 kilowatt solar photovoltaic system and a powerhouse, and a concrete dryer for palay is expected to increase average household income/savings by an estimated amount of PhP 800 per month.
The operation and management of the rice milling center will be supervised by the Sioasio East Solar Power Association, Inc., which also operates and manages the solar lighting project in the barangay. Meanwhile, CENPELCO will be providing technical and administrative oversight of the project.
The EU provided experts who conducted a feasibility study, and the capacity building trainings on financial management, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills were likewise provided to the community association. TEFI will closely monitor and document the project’s progress as it looks forward to replicating PURE in other sites under its solar electrification program. “We thank our partners from the EU, DOE, Sual LGU and CENPELCO for their efforts in making this innovative program possible. This will certainly boost the productivity and income of the palay farmers of Barangay Sioasio East, while helping them improve the quality of their products,” TEFI Executive Director Mr. Ricky De Castro said.
In 2018, PURE pilot projects were successfully implemented in two remote barangays in Davao Occidental, which featured a corn sheller, corn mill and abaca stripping machines that directly benefit at least 200 farmers. The two pilot sites were inaugurated in November 2018 in Digos City.
ASEP is a joint undertaking of the EU and DOE geared towards providing access to renewable energy for the poor, remote households in the Philippines; enhancing and supporting the energy efficiency initiatives in the energy sector; and capacitating the energy movers in energy institutions. These activities were mainly in the area of off-grid rural electrification, energy efficiency and capacity development.
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For details, please contact:
Douglas Liner
EU-ASEP TA Team Leader
Douglas.Liner@giz.de
Thelma Gecolea
EUD Public Affairs Officer
Thelma.GECOLEA@eeas.europa.eu
Undersecretary Wimpy Fuentebella
DOE Spokesperson
09189467993
Ms. Jive Bullock
DOE Head of Public Affairs
09178253372
doepao.jbullock@gmail.com
doe.media@doe.gov.ph
www.doe.gov.ph
Ms. Deanna Maningding
Team Energy Foundation
Diahne.maningding@teamenergy.ph