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Solar energy lights up El Nido villages
Source: Manila Bulletin
Author: Rachel S. Castro
Date: 1999-03-15
 
The El Nido Solar Energy Pilot Project or ENSOLAR is a two year

project (March 1997-March 1999) which aims to bring electricity initially

to 14 out of the 18 villages in El Nido. This pilot project is supported by

the Spanish government and the Instituto de Promocion y Apoyo al

Desarollo (IPADE). Rep. Ta?ada said that the communities are the

moving forces behind the implementation of this solar energy project.

"Their willingness to try out the technology and their commitment in

the whole process from the planning to implementation and

management is making this work." He added that 14 people's

institutions called Solar Energy Consumers Organizations (SECOs) was

organized to help ensure the project's sustainability. These comprise

the sectors of women, tribal communities, farmers and fisherfolks.



The project is in its last phase of implementation. Currently, 81 households

across the villages of Bagong Bayan and Aberawan have been installed of

household solar photovoltaic power system while two street lights have been

put up in Villa Libertad and Barotuan. These households are also being

provided the necessary awareness building, education and training on the

sustainable management and utilization of these solar panels for a long-term

period. 300 households across the pilot sites of Aberawan and Bagong Bayan

are targetted to be beneficiaries of the solar panel system while 12 street

lights are still to be put up in the 12 villages covered by the program. Each

household beneficiary is required to pay a local counterpart of P3,330 and a

monthly fee of P50 for maintenance.



The Spanish government has long been engaged in PRRM projects. It began

its partnership in 1993 during the implementation of the Camiguin Sustainable

Forestry project. Aside from the ENSOLAR, their other projects include

Camiguin Masterplan and Manila Bay Coastal Resource Management

Program.



Finally, Rep. Tanada defines the Ecodevelopment Tourism program as

PRRM's alternative to mainstream tourism that has often been considered a

threat more than an opportunity. PRRM has prepared tour packages which

highlight the areas rich and diverse environment and culture. These are the

Ifugao Tour, Marinduque Rural Life tour, Camiguin Volcano Island Tour, El Nido

Biodiversity Conservation Tour, Manila-Intramuros Historical-Cultural tour,

Mount Pinatubo Exposure Tour and the Bataan-Corregidor Learning Tour.

Capacity building activities were also lined up to support partner communities

and organizations interested in pursuing this type of tourism. Among these are

the Basic Ecodevelopment Tourism course, Village Participatory Rapid

Appraisal, Ecodevelopment Tourism Enterprise Planning, Ecodevelopment

Tour Operations and Management, Tour Product Design and Development,

Market Support and Linkaging, Policy Planning and Research.



Tourism Sec. Araneta expressed the department's full support for the El Nido

projects particularly the tourism development plan envisioned for the island.

She commends and supports the objective of conserving the island's unique

natural resources and subscribes to the tourism development plan envisioned

for the island.



"Palawan is the last frontier of our archipelago where the natural beauty of our

land and seas still survive in almost pristine form. It is the one place remaining

where we can prove that development and the environment allies, not rivals.

That tourism development can be sustainable and need not come at the

expense of nature," Sec. Araneta said.



She urged local officials who are responsible for the success of the tourism

industry to know their role to enable them to promote tourism for progress.



"We do not have to make an either-or choice between tourism and the

environment. We can have both. We can care for nature and people at the

same time," Araneta said.



PRRM chairman Dr. Helena Benitez believes that with the success of these

projects, they would be able to hep communities sustain themselves. "With El

Nido's precious eco-development tourism program, we want to help empower

the community people, the main stakeholders in the conservation and

preservation of these resources; to ensure that the benefits go back to them

and that their children's children will also get the benefits in an endles and

enduring future."



PRRM is a non-government organization (NGO) engaged in the design and

implementation of community and habitat development programs across the

archipelago. Founded in 1952, PRRM adopts the twin strategy of

demonstrating models of sustainable development at the local level and

working for policy reform at the national and global levels. It is organized both

as an NGO and as a membership institution with over 300 full-time and

multi-disciplinary workers. PRRM envisions a society of equity and

sustainability and is committed to being catalysts and active participants in

the attainment of a sustainable future for the country and our people.
 

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