Napocor to build new power plants for North Samar

MANILA, Philippines - The Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG) of state-owned National Power Corp. (Napocor) will build new power facilities to totally energize six barangays in Batag Island, Laoang, Northern Samar.

This undertaking forms part of Napocor’s off-grid electrification project under its SPUG operations.

“This is part of our mandate and responsibility. The provision of electric service is one of the vital ingredients in nation building,” Napocor vice president for SPUG Melburgo Chiu said.

“With almost all of our power generation capacities in the Luzon and Visayas grids having been privatized, Napocor will now concentrate in the electrification of far-flung islands and remote barangays under our SPUG mandate,” he added.

The project will specifically benefit the following barangays: Cabadiangan, Marubay, Candawid, Pangdan, Napotiocan and Tan-Awan.

The power facility is designed to house two diesel generating sets. The project, estimated to cost P5.7 million is expected to be finished by October 2010.

Laoang is in the north eastern tip of Northern Samar, 47 kilometers from the provincial capital of Catarman.  It can be reached by land within 45 minutes to one hour on well-paved national road, or through a five-minute pump boat ride.

“We are looking forward to the implementation of this project. This is part of many planned over the next couple of years, as we in Napocor focus our efforts in the small island and off-grid operations,” Chiu said.

After privatizing most of its assets, Napocor, as mandated under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001, will be left with function to maintain all the SPUG operations.