In a bid to improve residents’ access to reliable and renewable energy sources, and boost the island-province’s economy, top national, provincial and donor agency officials launched on Thursday, 28 February, two solar PV-diesel hybrid power plant projects in the coastal communities of Sibutu and Sitangkai.

The launching ceremony was led by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Provincial Government of Tawi-Tawi, Department of Energy, and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU).

The two hybrid power plants are under the Renewable Energy Technology for seaweeds value added in Tawi-Tawi (RETS) Project, which aims to provide 1.65 megawatts of renewable energy to village folks.

The power facilities are expected to provide reliable electricity to 2000-5,000 households, including community and health centers in the municipalities of Sibutu and Sitangkai, as well as neighboring island-communities.

During the launching ceremony Tawi-Tawi Governor Yshmael Sali emphasized the significance of the RETS Project to the province, particularly how it will help uplift the lives of people in the beneficiary communities by creating more sustainable economic opportunities.

“This project has a generational impact. In remote areas of the island municipalities. Electricity is a luxury. With the electricity generated by the RETS Project, children can study and do their homeworks at night under the bright lights,” Sibutu Vice Mayor Alshefa J. Pajiji noted.

“This will inspire more economic activity in our municipality, providing more comfort and convenience to us, encouraging more local trade and tourism for us,” Pajiji added.

Presidential Peace Adviser Sec. Carlito Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. who took part in the unveiling ceremony, underscored the socio-economic benefits the project will provide to the people who have dreamed of having access to a stable power supply.

“The RETS Project provides a very good opportunity to transform the lives of residents, particularly seaweed farmers, by improving their access to energy and expanding prospects for better livelihood and higher incomes,” Galvez said.