By: Doris Dumlao-Abadilla 07:30 AM April 6th, 2016
THE OFF-GRID energy arm of
engineering conglomerate DMCI Holdings has deployed two new satellite diesel
plants to Masbate, adding 1.75 megawatts of combined power generation capacity
to address power shortage in this island-province.
The two new facilities were set up
by DMCI Power Corp. (DPC) in the municipalities of Cawayan and Balud in
response to appeals made by the concerned local government units, the DMCI
group said in a press statement on Wednesday.
Amid public clamor, the Masbate
Electric Cooperative in turn appealed to DPC to address the problem by
deploying new generating units. Prior to the installation of the two satellite
plants, the areas experienced frequent brownouts due to tripping of the
transmission lines and voltage problems.
“Quality of life in Masbate has significantly
improved because of our partnership with the Maselco. There’s more economic
activity and higher productivity because people have access to reliable
electricity,” DPC president Nestor Dadivas said.
DPC was established in 2006 to
provide sufficient and reliable electricity to areas that are not connected to
the main transmission grid.
Aside from Masbate, the company also
provides power to Palawan and Calapan, Oriental Mindoro through supply
contracts with electric cooperatives. To date, DPC has a total contracted
capacity of about 59 MWs.
In 2015, DPC contributed P382
million in net profit to the conglomerate, marking a 57 percent improvement
from the previous year. The upsurge was attributed to the increased energy
dispatch of its power plants in Palawan, Masbate and Oriental Mindoro.
This year, the off-grid power
supplier plans to spend over P2.2 billion for power plant construction and
equipment acquisition.
One of the oldest settlements in the
Philippines, Masbate gained status as a separate province in 1920 by virtue of
Commonwealth Act No. 2934. This province aspires to be a premier agriculture,
fishery and eco-tourism hub by 2038. It pitches itself as the “Rodeo Capital of
the Philippines” and is likewise famous for its beaches, Buntod Sandbar and
Reef Marine Sanctuary.
The City of Masbate, the Provincial
capital, serves as the main commercial center and the chief seaport. Being
located at the central part of the Philippine archipelago, the city serves as
Bicol Region’s gateway to Visayas and Mindanao provinces.
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