Zamboanga village gets electricity for Christmas

BARANGAY Compra in Liloy town, Zamboanga del Norte will have a “bright Christmas” as the Zamboanga del Norte Electric Cooperative Inc. (Zaneco) and Aboitiz Power Corp. (AboitizPower) have sealed a partnership that aims to bring electricity to 40 households in the village.

The agreement is under the “Light a Home” project of AboitizPower.

Village chief Charlito Rubin said that while having a stable electricity may be trivial to residents in other places, it is considered a “Christmas wish” for the village folk.

“We need electricity in the community to light our homes and support our livelihood. We are very grateful to AboitizPower and Zaneco for this electrification project that will surely transform the lives of everyone in the community,” Rubin said.

According to Abigail Tomas, AboitizPower assistant vice president for public relations, the Light a Home project aims to bring electricity to far-flung areas where residents continue to have little to no access to power.

“AboitizPower and Zaneco have agreed to provide and install electrical wiring materials to the community which is within the cooperative’s franchise area, resulting from a collaboration forged to support the national government’s Sitio Electrification Program (SEP) intended to connect rural communities in the Philippines to the power grid,” Tomas said.

Catherine Del Villar-Pasilaban, AboitizPower vice president for wholesale sales, said they intend to pursue more partnerships that will help address various social challenges to help communities, given the number of social challenges they face.

“We aim to implement nation-building programs that are cost-effective and environmentally conscious to leave a lasting impact on the communities we serve, and the country at large,” Del Villar-Pasilaban

said, adding that they are pleased that Zaneco and AboitizPower share the same enthusiasm in realizing this goal and “we are happy to have them as our partner.”

Zaneco General Manager Jordanne Chan-Antonio said this project that gives access to electricity to Compra villagers is a fundamental necessity that every family should have.

“We have always been committed to providing reliable electricity to our member consumers and we are honored to have been given the opportunity to fulfill this mission,” Chan-Antonio added.

According to Tomas, AboitizPower and Zaneco have been active in rolling out nation-building initiatives that uplift the lives of Filipinos.

In 2021, the two donated school equipment and facilitated the electrification of Rizal Central School in Zamboanga del Norte to improve the school’s quality of education.