The PRES project is being implemented through the French Filipino Loan Protocol financing amounting to Euro 17.5 Million and representing a 55% grant financial package. The project aims to improve the living conditions of Masbate residents by providing them adequate and reliable energy services. A total of 18,000 households located in the 128 un-energized remote barangays in the islands of Masbate and Ticao shall benefit from the project. Aside from this, basic services such as lighting for barangay halls and school buildings, provision of vaccine refrigeration and lighting for rural health units as well as provision of streetlights to major thoroughfares will also be the project’s main concern.

The project involves the installation of mini-grid powered by diesel and photovoltaic (PV) systems representing 12,800 and 5,200 connections, respectively. The diesel powered mini-grid shall provide electricity to households, commercial establishments, community facilities, and rural industries that are concentrated or clustered in nature. Dispersed households, on the other hand shall be provided with individual solar home systems.

The project supports the overall rural electrification program of the Department of Energy of providing electricity to all of the country’s barangays by 2010. The PRES project is being implemented by the French Consortium; ETDE as the equipment supplier and Paris Manila Technology Corporation (PAMATEC) as the firm in-charge with the installation of the systems. The National Power Corporation (NPC), being the borrower of the loan, shall act as the executing agency and shall be in charge with the overall supervision of the project. The project shall be implemented through direct collaboration with various local government units in the province.

Finally, the project aims at supporting Non Profit Organizations (NGO) targeting PRES communities to deliver social services in health care and education as well as livelihood and microfinance programs. Just recently, PAMATEC, as part of its social obligation tied up with Handicap International (HI), a Nobel prize winner NGO, to support the needs of people with disabilities (PWDs) in the PRES areas. PAMATEC and Ayala Foundation signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to computerize and connect to Internet 26 public high schools located in the PRES communities. Finally, PAMATEC is assisting the BIP foundation of France to send surplus medical equipment to the Masbate provincial health facilities.

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