TALAVERA, Nueva Ecija – President Aquino led the switch-on ceremonies for the electrification of 1,199 sitios within Central Luzon region under the government’s socalled Sitio Electrification Program (SEP) last week at the Nueva Ecija Electric Cooperative II-Area 1 gymnasium in Baragay Calipahan here.
The chief executive was assisted by Energy Sec. Zenaida Monsada, National Electrification Administrator Edita Bueno and Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali, according to the Philippine Information Agency (PIA).
Aquino switched on the LED lights in the map of Region 3. The LED lights represent the sitios under SEP, a program being implemented by NEA and the Department of Energy (DOE).
The president also addressed local officials and representatives of different electric cooperatives in Central Luzon and SEP as well as beneficiaries of shared service facilities, a flagship project of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
In September 2011, NEA identified 32,441 sitios to be energized under the electric cooperatives’ coverage areas. This number became the baseline target for the SEP which was launched in of 2011 with a P814 million funding for the energization of 1,410 sitios. With the same amount of funding, NEA and the ECs were able to energize 1,520 sitios in 90 days.
Considered as one of the economic pillars of the Aquino Presidency, SEP went into full swing in 2012. With a funding of P4.053 billion, 6,163 sitios were energized, 156 more than the target of 6,007. It has since moved forward to electrify 5,263 sitios in 2013 and 7,567 in 2014 despite massive power restoration activities in areas hit by calamities.
