Close to forty two percent of the city’s ongoing Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting project is completed by the contractor for the replacement of the existing high pressure sodium fixtures to LED fixtures as part of the local government’s efforts to reduce its power consumption by approximately fifty percent.
Engr. Richard Molina, Electrical Engineer III of the City Engineering Office (CEO), disclosed that of the 7,485 high pressure sodium fixtures that have been programmed to be replaced, some 3,103 fixtures had already been replaced with the energy efficient LED fixtures.
He added that of the city’s 128 barangays, some 78 barangays have already the LED fixtures installed in their respective streetlights that guarantee sufficient illumination for the overall implementation of the realization of the said project.
The CEO engineer claimed that the conversion of the city’s streetlight from the present high pressure sodium fixtures to LED fixtures is right on track because of the significant accomplishment of the contractor where the same might be completed before the prescribed November 2021 deadline.
According to him, the local government earmarked some P130 million for the city’s LED lighting project but the contractor was able to bid the implementation of the project for approximately P109 million which will be prosecuted in one year based on the contract executed between the city and the Paran֮aque-based company.
Molina explained that the conversion of the city’s streetlights to LED fixtures is geared towards reducing the power consumption of the same to approximately 50 percent where the fixtures will have a 5-year warranty.
The monthly consumption of the present high pressure sodium fixtures is more or less P3.8 million.
Molina stipulated that the contractor is working double time to ensure the completion of the replacement of the existing streetlights to LED fixtures as part of the local government’s efforts to significantly reduce its power consumption and guarantee illumination of the city’s barangays.
The electrical engineer stipulated that the contractor deployed sufficient number of personnel and equipment to implement the replacement of the bulbs to LED fixtures pursuant to the one-year contract to ensure the realization of the long overdue project that trace back to the previous administration where the same was proposed to be undertaken through the public-private partnership program.
(Dexter A. See, phot courtesy by Joseph Manzano, RPN DZBS Baguio OIC)