By
Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff reporter
Laoag City—At least 124 recipients from the selected host
municipalities of the largest wind power farm in Ilocos Norte will be given P1.5
million worth of poultry and livestock project as income replacement after they
were identified as one of the hardest hit by typhoon Mario which struck the
province last September.
Eric
Pascua, head of the provincial government’s Investment Office said that
about P1 million of the total amount accounts for the Energy Development
Corporation’s (EDC) commitment to provide development and livelihood fund to
the host province once it starts selling electricity to the Wholesale
Electricity Spot Market (WESM).
Under
the law, the EDC is mandated to set aside 25 percent of every one centavo sale
of electricity to host municipalities of renewable energy project.
In
compliance to the Department of Energy resolution 1-94, Mr. Pascua said
the EDC has pledged to allocate at least P1 million as an advance share of the
province for its livelihood program.
Since
November this year, the 150-megawatt Burgos wind project of the EDC, the
largest wind farm in Southeast Asia with 50 wind turbines situated in a
sprawling 600-hectare forestland in Burgos town has started to deliver
electricity to WESM.
In
view of this, at least 80 of the 124 recipients of the EDC livelihood program
will be given 20 broiler chicks each with corresponding chick booster supply
until these are ready for harvest.
Meanwhile,
some family beneficiaries who are members of an association will be given four
heads of sheep worth P16, 500 each.
Through
a memorandum of agreement under a counterpart scheme, Pascua said P500,000 of
the P1.5 million livelihood assistance will be shouldered by the provincial
government and the respective beneficiaries.
To
ensure the success of the program, both the Provincial Veterinary Office and
the Department of Agriculture are tasked to provide technical assistance.
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