PAGADIAN CITY, May 3 (PIA) - - - "There could never be a socio-cultural, economic development without electricity," said Engr. Raul Saniel, general manager and chief executive officer of Zamboanga del Sur Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ZAMSURECO-I) during the solidarity run for a cause dubbed as “Run for Light” held recently at the Molave Regional Pilot School in Molave town.
“Run for Light” is one of the highlights of activities in celebration of the National Electrification Administration’s (NEA) 50th anniversary with this year’s theme, “NEA @50: One with ECs and MCOs for Sustainable Rural Development.”
Saniel said ZAMSURECO-1 is not only celebrating the number of years of NEA’s existence but also the valuable contributions it made for the nation.
NEA is a government-owned and -controlled corporation mandated to carry out total electrification in remote areas of our country.
“The importance of rural electrification plays a very crucial role in our country,” said Saniel.
“The growth and economic development that we have seen today in our country, we owe it to the Rural Electrification Programs (REP) of the NEA,” Saniel proudly said.
The REP is part of the national government's efforts to reach out to the Filipinos, especially the poorest of the poor living in the remote and far-flung communities across the country.
During the opening program of the “Run for Light,” the ZAMSURECO runners lit the torches and run inside the oval of Molave Regional Pilot School where each torch represent a decade of electrification.
The torch was passed to the electric cooperative and member-consumer/owners and finally handed to the five children which symbolizes the future of rural electrification.
A Zumba dance was also conducted before the official start of the run to boost the running energy of the runners.
Over 2,000 participants joined the event and competed in the following categories: 1 KM, 2 KM, and 5 KM where the winners were awarded with cash prizes, trophies, medals and certificates. (ALT/GCC/PIA-Zamboanga del Sur)
