by: Roy Padel

QUEZON CITY. – The energization of the sitios and public schools in the second district of Bohol is now assured with the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between the Congressional District Office, the National Electrification Administration and the Bohol Electric Administration and the Bohol Electric Cooperative II last Tuesday at the NEA headquarters in Quezon City. Rep. Erico Aumentado, NEA administrator Edita Bueno and BOHECO II general manager Carlos Itable signed the MOA on the multi-million pesos joint project under the government's public-private partnership program. The MOA signing came on the heels of the House Committee on Energy deliberation on the bill authored principally by Aumentado strengthening NEA and the electric cooperatives, and increasing NEA's capitalization from P5 billion which is now on the verged of exhaustion to P15 billion. Aumentado also led the House leaders in requesting Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras to allocate P1.6 billion pesos from the department's budget for 2012 the amount of not less than P1.6 billion pesos for NEA's rural electrification. The massive energization project is intended to uplift the quality of life in the sitios and the ICT enhancement of the public schools in the second district. Under the agreement, the parties contribute their resources to the project.

The solon's office will allocate a total of P16,000,000.00 with P15,000,000.00 for sitio and public schools electrification, and P1,000,000.00 for the Jandayan, Getafe energy sub-marine cable. The amount of P8,000,000.00 has been released by DBM from Aumentado's PDAF in the 2011 budget which started the project earlier. On the other hand, NEA will allocate and release to BOHECO II the subsidy equivalent to the total project cost less the congressman's PDAF allocation of P16,000,000.00 as NEA's share in the joint project considering NEA's mandate to energize the rural areas. According to Dir. Jose Seguban, Jr. of the NEA Engineering Division, the agency has allocated an initial amount of P25,000,000.00 for the district electrification project to this year to match Aumentado's PDAF release of P8,000,000.00 for the purpose which has jumpstarted implementation of the joint undertaking implemented by BOHECO II. The coop contributes services and technical assistance valued at about P12.5 billion. Aumentado committed to cause the full release of his counterpart funding before his first term ends as congressman. NEA will fund the balance for the sitios in the ten towns under BOHECO II.