Hydropower developer inspects prospective sites

FUTURE DAM SITE? Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado (in sunglasses) of Bohol’s 2nd District leads Sunwest Water and Electric Co. Vice President for Engineering Mariano Caliva and other officials to a vantage point in Danao town to view Brgy. Bayongan in San Miguel town below. Other photo shows Aumentado and Robert Uy in part of the spillway system that brings the excess water from the Malinao Dam in Pilar town to Bayongan. Fotos: ROMEL TERUEL

By: JUNE S. BLANCO

RANKING officials of a power developing company recently conducted ocular inspections of possible dam sites that can be harnessed for hydroelectric power. 

Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado (Bohol, 2nd District) guided officials of Sunwest Water and Electric Co. (Suweco) that specializes in developing renewable energy sources and bulk water facilities – and distributing the power or water generated especially to rural communities. 

Aumentado brought Suweco Vice President for Engineering Mariano Caliva and Robert Uy to vantage points along Second Rural Road Improvement Project (SRRIP) roads in Bonotbonot and Benliw in Buenavista and Ubay towns respectively, the Northeast Catch Basin in Danao and the Bayongan Dam in San Miguel that can easily produce three megawatts of power without submerging populated areas. 

The solon stressed that he and the Suweco representatives always take into consideration the welfare of residents. He said he does not want them to assume risks in development projects like this. 

Like his father and namesake Rep. Erico Boyles Aumentado, the son says he is also forward-looking - taking steps this early to boost the power generation of Bohol to prevent province-wide outages like what happened when the geothermal power source in Leyte failed due to damage wrought by super typhoon Yolanda.

Credits:

Bohol Standard --- [link]