BAGUMBAYAN, Sultan Kudarat- A total 103 households were finally lighted up  with the completion of the solar home system project of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Region XII, an agency official reported Wednesday.

Gemma N. Rivera, DSWD XII assistant regional director said that the recently completed project amounting to P1.75 million was constructed in the village of Kanulay, some 30 kilometers away from the town proper of Bagumbayan, Sultan Kudarat.

“This solar home system project is an answer to most pressing need of Kanulay households that never expected to experience lighting their homes through solar energy especially this holiday season,” Rivera said.

Rivera added that most of the beneficiaries are members of the indigenous people (IP) belonging to the Monobo tribe.

Meanwhile, Jerwin Tiwan, 26, Manobo father of two and one of the beneficiaries said that the project is of great help to Kanulay residents, whom for many years have been clamoring for the affliction of the absence of electricity in the community.

“Unlike before that all activities would halt by the time the sun set, we can now do other economic and livelihood activities at night. Most of all, our children can study anytime they wanted at night,” Tiwan said.

The project was constructed through the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services or Kalahi-CIDSS, one of the agency’s core-social protection programs.

Kalahi-CIDSS, a community-driven development project of the Philippine Government implemented by the agency has completed 15 electrification projects in four provinces in Region-12 since 2003 amounting to P15.18 million. (Hilbert T. Estacion, DSWD-12)