• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Nexif Energy, an Asian and Australian power company, will investing about P8 billion to put up a 150-megawatt solar farm in areas covering Brgy. Tabunan, Bago City, and Brgy. Felisa, Bacolod City, its senior project development manager, Guian Carlo Mascardo, revealed yesterday.
Mascardo disclosed that the solar farm will cover 138 hectares in the two barangays.
He added that the project is expected to start by mid-2023, and is targeted to be completed by the end of next year, after getting endorsements from the concerned barangays, local government units, and provincial government of Negros Occidental.
Mascardo also said that the development of Negros Solar PH renewable energy project is considered the largest solar farm in the country, which is also located near the Bacolod Economic Highway.
Board Member Manuel Frederick Ko, Energy committee chairman of the Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan, said the project got the endorsement of the province after it presented the much needed requirements, such as certificates of environmental compliance from the Department of Natural Resources, land reform exemption from the Department of Agrarian Reform, and a certification from the National Commission on Indigenous People stating that it has no claimants from Indigenous Peoples (IP).
In separate meetings between Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer with Negros Solar PH executives, Ko said it was agreed that the labor force component will be sourced from Bago City.
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, Nexif Energy and Negros Solar PH yesterday distributed school supplies to Ireneo Makilan Elementary students in Brgy. Tabunan, Bago City, in an activity attended by Ko, along with Board Member Andrew Martin Torres, Atty. Gerry Llena, Bago City officials, as well as representatives from the Department of Education.*
