Eastern Visayas dev’t planners eye hydro plant in N. Samar

published January 08, 2009 in BusinessWorld

PALO, LEYTE -- The Regional Development Council (RDC) in Eastern Visayas has asked the Department of Energy (DoE) to commission a feasibility study on a proposed hydropower plant that will tap the Pinipisakan Falls in Las Navas, Northern Samar.

Ernesto Octaviano, chief of the infrastructure development division of the National Economic and Development Authority regional office here, said a team from the Energy department initially said the waterfall could generate seven megawatts.

"According to the DoE study, a water outlet which is 21 meters in height will be tapped to run the turbines that will convert the flow of water into electric energy," Mr. Octaviano said.

The Northern Samar Provincial Development Council earlier endorsed to the regional council the proposal for the Energy department to finance the feasibility study on the construction of the hydropower plant. The feasibility study, estimated to cost P3 million, was originally targeted to start this month and to be completed in February next year.

"The hydropower plant is eyed to somehow resolve the problem outages in Northern Samar towns due to supply shortage and old transmission lines," Mr. Octaviano said in a presentation during a recent council meeting.

Currently, electricity is transmitted to Northern Samar through the Calbayog City-Lope de Vega section.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines is implementing the P1-billion Wright-Calbayog 138-kilovolt transmission project that should improve the reliability and efficiency of power supply in the northern part of Samar Island.

Pinipisakan Falls in Brgy. San Isidro of Las Navas town was inaugurated as an ecotourism destination in August last year under the Samar Island Biodiversity Project.

The next step is to build accommodation facilities and to promote the site to both local and foreign tourists.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the local government of Las Navas signed a memorandum of agreement in August last year to jointly allocate funds, protect, develop and manage the Pinipisakan Falls and nearby Ginagatusan Caves, and its surrounding ecosystem for recreational and ecotourism purposes. (Sarwell Q. Meniano)