By Connie Calipay
LEGAZPI CITY – The upgraded Ligao Substation of the Albay Electric Cooperative (Aleco) is expected to improve power distribution reliability, meet growing electricity demand, and support economic growth in Albay’s third district.
Located in Barangay Dunao, Ligao City, the substation’s installed capacity has doubled from 2 x 10 megavolt-amperes (MVA) to 2 x 20 MVA, strengthening Aleco’s ability to provide more efficient and reliable electricity services to its member-consumer-owners (MCOs).
During the blessing and energization ceremony on Wednesday, Ligao City Mayor Fernando Gonzales described the project as a significant breakthrough that would help address longstanding development challenges in the district.
“This is a big breakthrough, and these facilities will allow the development of Ligao City, Guinobatan, Pio Duran, and Oas,” he said.
Gonzales said the project demonstrates the national government’s commitment to supporting cooperatives, particularly those that provide essential services to communities.
“This is a big contribution by the national government in pursuit of its mandate to improve the living conditions of the people it represents,” he said.
Gonzales said that while cooperatives should strive for financial independence, government assistance remains necessary to ensure the continued delivery of essential services.
“Our cooperative, of course, should learn to stand on its own and develop ways and means to move forward independently without the need for subsidies. However, given the circumstances in our country, there are times when this is difficult,” he added.
Gonzales said national government support is particularly important for consumer cooperatives like Aleco to ensure vital services remain available.
He also underscored the importance of the upgraded facility as the province prepares for the potential effects of El Niño, which could increase electricity demand as temperatures rise.
Meanwhile, National Electrification Administration (NEA) Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda, in a message read by Deputy Administrator for Technical Services and Aleco Project Supervisor engineer Wilfredo Buscit, said the project reflects the cooperative’s continuing efforts to strengthen its infrastructure and improve service delivery.
“This milestone reflects Aleco’s continued efforts to strengthen its infrastructure and enhance its ability to serve,” Almeda said.
He said doubling the substation’s installed capacity would better position the cooperative to meet the growing electricity requirements and future needs of its member-consumer-owners.
For the project overview, Aleco Technical Services Department Manager engineer Mark Jessan Lucilo said the upgrade also involves modernizing electrical facilities by installing advanced substation equipment designed to integrate with the cooperative’s Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.
The project also includes constructing two new double-circuit distribution lines to strengthen the substation’s feeder network, improve load distribution, and enable faster fault isolation.
The upgraded facility will accommodate six distribution feeders serving the entire municipalities of Pio Duran, Guinobatan, and Jovellar, as well as portions of Ligao City extending toward Oas and other areas along Sabluyon Road and the Guinobatan boundary, including the Ligao City center.
Lucilo further said the increased capacity would allow Aleco to redistribute electrical loads from its Polangui Substation, enabling the substation to primarily serve the municipalities of Polangui and Libon. (PNA)
