Pababag Island’s
Solar-Powered Public Phone
Ambassador Wendy Chamberlin, U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) Assistant Administrator for Asia and the Near
East, and Philippine Energy Secretary Vincent Perez cut the ribbon
to inaugurate the first public calling station in Pababag Island
in Tawi-Tawi. Powered by solar energy, the calling station is
part of the USAID-assisted telecommunications system under the
Alliance for Mindanao Off-Grid Renewable Energy (AMORE) project
for former combatants of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)
in the province. Ambassador Chamberlin, who was in the Philippines
July 7-14, visited other USAID-assisted projects in Mindanao,
including those that help integrate former rebel combatants, expand
education, promote healthy families, revitalize local economies,
strengthen local governance, and improve the management of local
resources. (Click on the picture to view the photo gallery.)
Related links:
· Photo gallery of Ambassador Chamberlin’s
call on President Arroyo
· Photo gallery of Ambassador Chamberlin
and Sec. Perez at lighting of Tawi-Tawi’s energization map
To demonstrate the high quality of the solar-powered
telephone line, Energy Secretary Vincent Perez (left photo) calls
up President Gloria Arroyo, who was in Cotabato at that time,
then passes the phone to Ambassador Ricciardone (right photo).
Ambassador Ricciardone holds the public address system’s
microphone to the phone to share with the public his phone conversation
with President Arroyo. Aside from putting up the island’s
first public phone booth, AMORE has electrified 1,000 households
in Tawi-Tawi and Basilan. AMORE is the joint project of the USAID,
the Philippine Department of Energy, Mirant Philippines, and the
Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
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