18 March 2011: The implementation of a World Bank project in the Philippines has allowed the island of Sibuyan access to reliable electric power through the construction of 900 KW hydroelectric power turbines.

The new clean source of energy is helping catalyze eco-tourism in this farming and fishing community, which is located about 350 kilometers south of Manila. The project replaced diesel-fed plants that offered a limited and unstable supply. Previously, Sibuyan residents experienced 12-hour blackouts every day, often caused by mechanical failure of generating sets and shortage of fuel. The two hydroelectric turbines (with a total combined capacity of 900kW) and its associated civil works cost Php140 million, partly financed through a loan from the Rural Power Project, a World Bank-supported project implemented by the Development Bank of the Philippines. [World Bank Press Release]