JICA funding for hydropower plants in Northern Luzon inked

A ¥1.04 billion (P439.64 million) grant to build mini-hydropower facilities in Ifugao and Isabela provinces was given the green light by the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA), the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said Wednesday. The grant agreement was signed on Tuesday, NEDA said. The project covers the construction of an ¥893 million, 810 kilowatt mini-hydropower plant in Haliap village in Asipulo town, Ifugao. Hydropower equipment, repair of existing irrigation facilities, and training for operators and plant supervisors will also be provided. The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Ifugao local government will implement the project from May 2013 to February 2015. “This project will then provide a reliable source of fund for the preservation and rehabilitation of Ifugao’s rice terraces. Also, the province is now developing its native rice varieties raised in its terraces for both the domestic and export markets,” said NEDA Deputy Director-General Rolando Tungpalan. Likewise, a ¥147 million (P62.14 million), 45-kilowatt mini-hydropower plant in Isabela—including a substation, transmission facilities, a diversion canal, and power house—will be constructed under the grant. “Isabela is also a significant source of agricultural products, especially palay and corn, for the country,” said Tungpalan, noting that the DOE and the National Irrigation Administration will implement the project from May 2013 to November 2014. Tungpalan noted the importance of developing renewable energy sources in the provinces. “Harnessing hydropower potentials in the countryside will help the government in its strategy of intensifying the development and use of renewable and environment-friendly alternative energy resources,” he said. — Siegfrid O. Alegado/VS, GMA News