Toboso in Negros Occidental is on the way to becoming the most renewable energy (RE) powered municipality, and the Vergara-Magtuod Development Cooperative (VEMADECO) Hydro Power Plant is a showcase of the possibilities when resources are utilized by an empowered community, Provincial Consultant on Energy and Environment Rafael Coscolluela said.
Toboso Mayor Richard Jaojoco offered to allocate P2.8 million to further improve the VEMADECO Hydro Power Plant in the remote Sitios Vergara and Magtuod in Brgy. Bug-ang, Toboso, following a study presented by University of Saint La Salle (USLS) College of Engineering researchers at the Capitol Social Hall in Bacolod City on Friday, Jan. 30.
The USLS study will serve as a specific guide on how the P2.8 million will be used to improve the hydropower plant’s reach, Jaojoco said.
The study focused on energy conservation strategies for households served by the hydropower plant, an initiative spearheaded by the Office of the Provincial Consultant on Energy and Environment, in coordination with the SecuRE Negros Program.
The plant serves 167 households, but currently, only 48 percent of the power plant output can be accessed by the consumers due to load imbalance and systems losses, the study showed.
The researchers recommended changing the distribution wires that were connected in 2008, redesigning power distribution lines, and installing transformers to lower losses brought about by transmitting low-voltage over long distances.
These changes will increase the power available from the hydropower plant to the consumers to about 97-99 percent, they said.
The VEMADECO hydropower plant is sufficient for the needs of the consumers for at least the next five years, the USLS research team said.
The team is composed of engineers Karlo Blanca, Mirose Francisco, Marie Fe Novia, Edryan Po and Felix Querubin, and Dr. Rosalyn Garde.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the hydro power plant in Brgy. Bug-ang is the only one in existence in Negros Occidental, and the province is more than willing to assist them, especially financially, if there is a need for expansion.
Lacson said the study presented Friday reflects both foresight and shared responsibility in advancing sustainable development in the province.
“By studying household energy use and promoting practical conservation strategies, authorities move beyond simply supplying electricity to empowering communities as active partners in energy sustainability,” he said.
This initiative aligns with the SecuRE NEGROS program, which aims to ensure that energy in Negros Occidental is renewable, reliable, accessible, available, affordable, and sustainable, he said.
Established in 2008 with the support of the Asian Development Bank, the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction, the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental, and Renew Negros, the VEMADECO Hydropower Plant is a pioneering community-owned renewable energy facility.
Meanwhile, Jaojoco stressed that Toboso’s push toward renewable energy also includes the use of solar power.
The Toboso municipal hall, public market, and plaza are already powered by solar energy, he said.
Hopefully, they can generate 1 megawatt of solar power in Toboso this year, Jaojoco said.
In the future, they will also install a solar-powered Ferris wheel at the Toboso public plaza, he added.
Jaojoco is also eyeing electricity powered by biomass from chicken waste.*
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