Five islands in Bohol’s 2nd District stand to be energized within the year.

Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado said the National Electrification Administration (NEA) informed him last week of the approval of the installation of submarine cables from Bohol mainland to these islands.

Power will allow the islanders to enjoy the perks brought about by energization, like the light at night, cold beverages and water, television, radio with no worries as to batteries, and the convenience of charging cellular phones and two-way radios at home.

Aumentado enumerated the islands as Tintinan of Ubay, Hingutanan (East and West) and Sagasa of Bien Unido, Gaus in President Carlos P. Garcia and Cataban in Talibon. Except for Hingutanan East and West that share a boundary, all the rest are island barangays.

Powering these islands forms part of the solon’senergization program – either by submarine cable as what he did in Mahanay Island, or overhead cables, or if too far from the mainland, by stand-alone generator sets.

To note, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) had provided Aumentado with a copy of the documents that specified the number and capacities of the power generator sets, the islands or islets where these are to be installed, and the mode of transport of the same from Manila to the destinations.

The solon emphasized that energization is the key to an island’s development. It will allow students to study at night, their fishermen parents to repair their nets and do other work at night, and run freezers and refrigerators to hold their surplus catch instead of having to sell them cheap. (June S. Blanco)