Renewable Energy 140 (2019) 905e911

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Renewable Energy
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Techno-economic analysis of a cost-effective power generation system

for off-grid island communities: A case study of Gilutongan Island,
Cordova, Cebu, Philippines
Lorafe Lozano a, *, Edward M. Querikiol b, Michael Lochinvar S. Abundo c,
Luzvisminda M. Bellotindos d
a
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, 6000, Philippines
b
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, 6000, Philippines
c
Energy and Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Ave, 639798, Singapore
d
Center for Research in Energy Systems and Technologies, School of Engineering, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, 6000, Philippines

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: Off-grid, rural island communities seldom have access to electricity and for those that do, the quality and
Received 5 August 2018 availability are unsatisfactory. Gilutongan Island is one of the many off-grid islands in the Philippines
Received in revised form with very limited access to electricity. Residents are provided with electricity from 6:00 p.m. to 10:30
28 February 2019
p.m. through a 194-kVA diesel generator, paying US$ 0.14 per bulb and US$ 0.16 per outlet. Payment for
Accepted 27 March 2019
electricity is collected on a daily basis with collections usually amounting to US$ 74.32 per day. With
Available online 30 March 2019
consumption totalling to 276 kW for 4.5 h, this roughly translates to a cost of US$ 1.21 per kWh. Using
Hybrid Optimisation Model for Electric Renewables (HOMER), this paper presents a techno-economic
Keywords:
Energy access
analysis of a proposed cost-effective power generation system for the island, aiming to provide elec-
Renewable energy tricity access to the residents 24 h a day with reduced energy cost. Two options are considered: diesel-
Hybrid power systems solar hybrid and solar only. Considering location constraints of the island, the hybrid system proves to be
HOMER more effective, reducing cost of energy by 70% to US$ 0.3556 per kWh. Determining the load profile of
the island is imperative in creating the system, dictating its size and capacity, which in turn affects its
sustainability.
© 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction where connection to the main grid is deemed infeasible, leaving

About 1.1 billion people in the world still have no access to
electricity as of 2016 and more than 95% of this population live in
sub-Saharan Africa and in developing Asia. This number dropped
from 1.7 billion in the year 2000 due to new grid connections with
power generation from fossil fuels and also due to the increase of
renewable off-grid, mini-grid systems [1].
In the Philippines, the Department of Energy (DOE) reported
that as of 2014, 4.2 million households mostly living in isolated,
rural island communities are not electrified [2]. As an archipelagic
country, the Philippines has a number of small, remote islands
* Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: lflozano@usc.edu.ph (L. Lozano), emquerikiol@usc.edu.ph
(E.M. Querikiol), mike@oceanpixel.org (M.L.S. Abundo), lmbellotindos@usc.edu.ph
(L.M. Bellotindos).
off-grid mini-grids usually with renewable energy (RE) integration
as the main option for electrification. The Philippine government
strongly believes that providing electrical services to these off-grid
communities will improve their quality of life, expand access to
basic services, and strengthen infrastructure for rural development.
DOE foresees to achieve 100% electrification of identified unelec-
trified households by the year 2022 and connect Mindanao grid to
the interconnected Luzon and Visayas grids by 2020 to increase
supply reliability [3]. Moreover, the government aims to have at
least 30% RE sources in the country’s energy mix. Under Republic
Act No. 9513 or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, DOE has pre-
sented plans to increase RE capacity base to 15,236 MW by 2030
through its National Renewable Energy Program [4].
Mixed energy sources are deemed to be more beneficial than
sourcing energy from a single technology. Especially in rural com-
munities, combining diesel generator sets and renewable energy
sources allow end users to cover seasonal fluctuations of resources

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2019.03.124
0960-1481/© 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
906 L. Lozano et al. / Renewable Energy 140 (2019) 905e911
as well as protect them from unpredictability of fuel prices and
supply [5]. Hybrid power systems combining renewable energy and
diesel generators are seen to be the most suitable solution in rural
electrification and have seen to successfully provide electricity to
rural communities in China, Tanzania, Algeria, Ecuador, and Laos
[6]. In a study of an off-grid village in Sind, Pakistan, a hybrid power
system using photovoltaic, wind, and diesel is seen to reduce 69% of
greenhouse gas emissions and to provide a levelised cost of energy
at $0.45/kWh [7]. Although requiring high initial investment than
pure diesel systems, techno-economic analysis shows that hybri-
dised systems considering PV, wind and diesel is the most
economical solution to electrification of rural areas in Colombia in
terms of long-term economic implications and carbon footprint
reduction [8]. In India, central grid extension coupled with
renewable energy sources is seen to improve electrical supply to 20
cases showing reduction in average cost of electricity, minimisation
of grid losses, and reduction in power interruptions [9]. A grid-tied
hybrid micro-grid system is also considered optimal for rural
village Kallar Kahar in Punjab, Pakistan providing for a levelised
cost of energy at $0.05744/kWh [10].
In most studies involving design of optimal hybrid systems for
rural electrification, HOMER software is used as in the cases of PV-
biomass-diesel systems in India [11], hybrid microgrids in Papua
New Guinea [12], grid-tied and off-grid systems in rural India [13],
power systems in Algeria [14], sizing of renewable off-grid systems
in Sri Lanka [15], assessment of hybrid renewable power sources in
Malaysia [16], hybrid application of biomass gasifier and PV sources
in Bangladesh [17], and in mini-grid solutions to rural electrifica-
tion programs in sub-Saharan Africa [18]. The main challenge in
using HOMER is to create as realistic a load profile as possible in
order to come up with feasible optimal designs. The individual
household demands usually constitute the aggregate demand of a
community [19] and determining the usage of electricity is crucial
in the sizing of the power generation system. This is emphasised by
Mandelli et al. in their case study in rural Uganda [20] where they
used stochastic modelling in formulating load profiles needed to
conduct simulation of an off-grid PV battery system.
In Hartvigsson and Ahlgren [21], two methods were used to
obtain daily load profiles for three levels (households, small and
medium enterprises, and entire mini-grid) in a rural Tanzanian
village: interview-based and measurement. The interview-based
methodology is considered to be the most common and resource-
efficient method but with issues on generating accurate load pro-
files. The methodology required taking average household usages
considering appliances, power ratings of appliances, usage of ap-
pliances, and time of day used of the average household based on
socio-economic status and the energy consumption at any given
time is computed based on Equation (1).
N Xn
Et ¼ * Pm;t
n m
Larger loads, on the other hand, required a different calculation
for daily energy consumption, which is the rated power of the load
multiplied by the total time used in a day as shown in Equation (2).
X
k
tusage
Et ¼ Pm *
m topen
The measured demand is obtained by using clamp-on current
meters deployed simultaneously in multiple locations. The results
of the study showed high discrepancies in energy and load factors
between the two methodologies with the interview-based showing
low energy usage calculations. Improvements to the interview-
based methodology were presented and included careful
identification of appliances and their usage patterns, reduce bias in
the interviewees, and knowledge of regulations and recommen-
dations on the use of certain appliances.
This interview-based methodology is also adapted by Ozawa
et al. in modelling household energy use in Japan [22]. However,
the study considered very specific urban household appliances
such as vacuum cleaners, microwave ovens, hair dryers, heaters,
electric pots, and dishwashers. Energy consumption was obtained
by considering an electricity consumption factor based on smaller
chunks of operating time. In a residential area in Iran, domestic load
modelling (DLM) was used to determine loads profile. Survey
questionnaires were also deployed to determine energy usage and
the analysis reflected the influence of the season, the day, the
family type and the dwelling type. The study, however, only took
specific load profiles of the use of washing machines within that
residential area by using multivariate stochastic modelling to
approximate the behaviour of controllable loads in the area [23]. In
Seo and Hong [24], electricity load profile for an urban apartment in
Korea was also obtained by survey and actual measurement. The
daily average energy consumption was obtained from survey
samples and analysed using time-series and causal forecasting
techniques. The best fit was obtained by means of root mean square
errors and the result indicated that time series analysis would best
describe the behaviour of energy consumers in determining the
daily electricity load. Other methodologies for load profiling
include clustering and pattern recognition techniques [25] and
using cyber physical systems [26].
This paper presents techno-economic analysis of two potential
power generation systems for Gilutongan Island, an island bar-
angay in Cordova, Cebu, Philippines. The island has unique prob-
lems in designing the system because of location constraints.
Majority of the land is said to be owned only by two families and
most of the residents are considered illegal settlers. The optimal
power generation mix that will yield the lowest cost of energy
(COE) is determined. Daily load demand is derived from surveys of
three levels (households, business establishments, and public fa-
cilities) considering both existing electrical appliances and pro-
jected electrical uses of island residents. An existing 194-kVA diesel
generator set is considered along with a new solar PV system
design for the electrical supply. The optimal solution is derived
using HOMERPro for design and cost optimisation. The solution
presented in this paper hopes to provide a baseline point for
possible cost-effective and reliable electricity access to island res-
idents 24 h a day that is expected to improve their quality of life,
expand their access to basic services and pave way for development
of the community.
2. Method and materials
2.1. Method
(1)
HOMERPro is used to simulate potential power generation
schemes to compute for COE. Solar resource, together with the load
profile of the community, and the technical and economic com-
ponents are the parameters considered. Fig. 1 shows the framework
for the HOMERPro simulation. Daily load profile, energy resource,
technical components, and economic components are the main
(2) inputs to the model. Geographical and technical constraints are
likewise determined.
The load demand profile is obtained through surveying of three
levels: households, business establishments (excluding a privately-
owned restaurant on the island) and public facilities. A simple,
stratified random sampling was done for households while 100% of
the establishments and facilities were surveyed. A 2% margin of
error was considered resulting to 301 total sample population for
 L. Lozano et al. / Renewable Energy 140 (2019) 905e911 907

INPUTS
Daily Load Energy Technical Economic
Profile Resource Components Components

Geographical
Constraints OUTPUTS
HOMERPro Simulation Model
Economic Power System
Technical Analysis Schematic
Constraints

Fig. 1. Framework for HOMER simulation.

the households. In projecting the load profile, total demand per

appliance for households, businesses and facilities are developed.
The total energy usage per appliance for the households is
computed using equation (3), while the totals are taken for busi-
nesses and facilities since 100% were surveyed.
  Pm 
m tx
Eappliance ¼ N* * P* x¼1 (3)
n m
 
where: N*m
n refers to the proportion of the respondents pro-
jected to use the appliance multiplied to the total population of the
island with m referring to the number of households responding to
use the appliance, n referring to the total sample population, and N
referring to the total population of the island;
Pm
t
x¼1 x
P refers to the standard wattage of the appliance; and m
refers to the average number of hours usage per appliance per
household.
Main energy resources identified for the island are solar energy Fig. 2. Main locations considered for PV installation (shown with blue markers).
and the existing diesel generator set. The main geographical
constraint identified is the location for the solar PV system because
Table 1
the island is relatively small and a large portion is considered Case scenarios for optimised design.
marine protected area while the remainder of the island is
Scenario Load Profile Design Considerations
privately-owned. The main locations considered for the proposed
system are two open basketball courts that can be roofed to Scenario 1 HHs þ Businesses þ Facilities Diesel Genset þ PV þ storage
Scenario 2 HHs þ Businesses þ Facilities PV þ storage
accommodate a 100 kWp capacity solar PV installation. The calcu-
lated roof areas are 314 square meters for the one located adjacent
to the barangay hall and 694 square meters for the one located near
the sea (see Fig. 2 with blue markers indicating the locations). management of facility and future outlook. HOMERPro software
Table 1 shows the scenarios that will be considered in the was used to optimise the hybrid system design for the island.
simulation of the optimised design. In the economics analysis in
HOMER, these scenarios will be compared against a baseline design 2.3. Site description
of having electricity supplied by the existing diesel generator set
only. Gilutongan, shown in Fig. 3, is an island barangay (village) in
Cordova, Cebu. The island is powered by a 194-kVA diesel generator
2.2. Materials set and electricity is made available to residents every day from
6:00 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. Diesel prices are normally higher in
Three survey instruments were designed to obtain the de- islands that in the mainland [27], and combined with the rationed
mographic profile and load profile of the island. Questionnaires for provision of electricity, could slow down the social and economic
the households, business establishments and facilities were progress of the community.
deployed over a three-day survey period. The first two question- The island forms part of the Olango group of islands located in
naires were divided into four sections to gather personal infor- Cordova, Cebu. It has a total land area of 11.26 ha [28] with 10 ha
mation of the respondent, current information about the business originally declared as marine protected area (MPA) [29]. It is a low-
or household, information about the business or household fi- lying island elevated at about 10 m above sea level with lands
nances, and future state. The facilities questionnaire is divided into primarily covered by limestone, coral, rubble, and sand. Thirty
five sections to obtain personal information, current information percent of the land is owned by locals while 70% is owned by
about the facility, energy and water at the facility, operations, and outsiders and primarily used for a resort that caters to foreigners
908 L. Lozano et al. / Renewable Energy 140 (2019) 905e911

can (excluding labour) from mainland Cordova. Island residents

also have their own rainwater catchment systems to store rain-
water. Each household pays on average US$ 0.65 per day or about
US$ 19.50 per month for electricity, which is in turn used to buy fuel
for the diesel generator. Both tariffs are considered too steep for the
meagre income of the locals. The island’s elementary school is
powered by a 5.2-kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system donated by
SunEdison [31].

3. Data presentation

Of the 342 households on the island, 306 were interviewed. The

Fig. 3. Satellite imagery of Gilutongan island.
who come to the island [30]. As part of Cordova, Gilutongan has a
type 3 or typical south sea climate with varying temperatures from
65  F to 95  F.
The residential houses are small and are made of light materials,
usually a combination of nipa roofing, coco lumber, galvanised iron
and concrete [28,30]. Most of the residents are considered illegal
settlers or “squatters”. The island is one of the three villages in
Cordova with the lowest rate of college-educated residents [28].
Majority of the residents are in the elementary and high school
level with few having graduated both elementary and high school
[30]. The sanctuary has a restaurant catering to tourists who take
part in island hopping and diving. There is also a make-shift health
centre and an elementary school. As of 2017 data from the local
government unit, Gilutongan has 1875 residents and 342 house-
holds. The main source of income for the residents are small-time
vending, shell collection, souvenir vending, live seafood vending,
seaweed farming, and fishing.
The island has no supply of potable water and the residents
procure water in 5-gallon Jerry cans at approximately US$ 0.30 per
respondents were composed of 83% female and 17% male. Most of
the respondents are elementary school graduates at 48.4%, fol-
lowed by those who were able to attend elementary school but did
not graduate at 26.8%, then those who finished high school at 18.6%
and the rest were either college levels, college graduates or did not
attend any formal schooling. Most of the households are composed
of between 3 and 6 persons, accounting for 63% of those inter-
viewed. 96% of them are connected to the island’s diesel generator
while the rest have their own generators or solar home systems.
94% of the population use electricity primarily for lighting while
52% also use it for mobile phone charging. Very few use it for other
appliances like radio, electric fans, and sound systems. The elec-
tricity is mostly available to them every night from 6:00 to 10:30 in
the evening. Although there is a standard cost for lighting and
outlet implemented by the local government, the residents pay
between US$ 0.10 to US$ 1.20 per day for electricity due to their
unconventional payment scheme, considering only mutual under-
standing between the local government and the house owner. The
payment is collected by the collector from their purok. The average
daily income of a household on the island is US$ 6.72 per day (or
Php 336 per day).
3.1. Load profile and solar resource
Fig. 4 shows the projected load-profile for the island. Data for

Projected Load Profile (Gilutongan Island)

70.0

60.0
Energy Consumption (kW)

50.0

40.0 HOUSEHOLD
BUSINESS
30.0 FACILITY
TOTAL
20.0

10.0

0.0
0:00
1:00
2:00
3:00
4:00
5:00
6:00
7:00
8:00
9:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
13:00
14:00
15:00
16:00
17:00
18:00
19:00
20:00
21:00
22:00
23:00

Fig. 4. Projected Daily Load Profile with 24-h electricity supply.

 L. Lozano et al. / Renewable Energy 140 (2019) 905e911 909

households, businesses, and facilities are shown individually in the
chart as well as the total demand for all three levels. This is
considering the appliances and their usage as projected by the
users if electricity is available 24 h per day. The load is expected to
peak at 65.3 kW at around 7:00 in the evening with the lowest load
of 21.6 kW between 4:00 to 7:00 in the morning.
Fig. 5 shows the generated monthly average solar global hori-
zontal irradiance (GHI) of the island. Results show that Gilutongan
has an average of 5.29 kWh/m2/day.
3.2. Technical and economic components
3.2.1. Technical components and costs
The technical components (with unit costs) considered in the
HOMER simulation are given in Table 2 below. Note that the
194 kVA diesel generator is already existing on the island.
3.2.2. Economic components
Assumptions for the economic components such as inflation
rate, discount rate, and diesel cost used in the HOMER simulation
are given below.
 Between January 2018 and June 2018, inflation rate rose from
3.4% to 5.2% [32]. The inflation rate used in the simulation is the
average over this six-month period, which is 4.3%.
 The interest rate as of June 2018 is 3.5% [33]. This is used as the
discount rate in the simulation.
 The island sources out its diesel from the mainland at US$ 0.84
(or Php45) per litre. This is assumed to increase by 2% every year,
considering recent increases in oil prices in the Philippines at
US$ 0.011 (Php 0.55) to US$ 0.014 (Php 0.70) per litre [34].
 Systems fixed capital cost includes installation, transportation
and other incidental costs related to the implementation of the
system.
 Exchange rate is assumed to be Php 50 to US$ 1.00.
set at 24 h per day is not nominal. Two possible scenarios are
considered to meet the electricity demand of the island: a hybrid
system consisting of the existing diesel generator set and a solar PV
installation with storage, and a purely renewable energy system
consisting of only solar PV.
The hybrid system consists of 100 kW solar PV, 200 batteries
and the 194-kVA generator set. The solar PV is constrained at
100 kW due to the limitations of the identified locations. Fig. 6
shows the monthly average electricity production of the system,
including the power output of the generator and the solar PV
installation.
The solar PV only system consists of 314 kW solar PV and 718
batteries. Because no diesel generator set is considered for this
scenario, the number of solar cells is not constricted. Fig. 7 shows
the power output of the system.
Table 3 summarizes the production details of the two proposed
scenarios.
The hybrid system is able to produce 41.1% of electricity from
renewable energy sources. The system dumps about 21.4% of
electricity and stores about 4.84 h of electrical supply in the bat-
teries, enabling it to supply the electrical load for that span of time
on batteries alone. The solar PV only system is able to produce
100% of electricity from renewable energy sources. Surplus power
is at 39.3% while unmet electrical load is at 8.59%. However, bat-
teries are able to supply electrical load for 17.4 h, given that there is
no sun.

4. Discussion and analysis of results

4.1. Discussion of results

Fig. 6. Monthly average electricity production, scenario 1.

The existing 194-kVA diesel generator set can supply the pro-
jected load demand of the island. However, operating the generator

Fig. 7. PV power output, scenario 2.

Table 3
Summary of production of two proposed scenarios.

Parameter Scenario 1 (Hybrid) Scenario 2 (PV Only)

Production, %
Solar PV 41.1% 100%
Diesel generator set 58.9% 0
Excess electricity, % 21.4% 39.3%
Unmet electrical load, % 0 8.59%
Fig. 5. Monthly average solar global horizontal irradiance, Gilutongan island. Down-
Autonomy, hrs. 4.84 17.4
loaded from the National renewable energy Laboratory.

Table 2
Technical components used in the simulation.

Component Brand Description Unit Cost

Solar PV panel Canadian Solar Flat-plate solar PV panel, mono-crystalline US$

290-W 620.00
Inverter with charge Fronius Symo Three-phase; can be interfaced with the internet via WLAN or Ethernet; assumed 10 years lifetime US$
controller 24.0e3 6000.00
Battery Trojan SAGM 12 V bus voltage with 1.99 kWh capacity; deep-cycle solar Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) lead acid maintenance free US$
12 75 battery; commonly used in the Philippines 289.00
910 L. Lozano et al. / Renewable Energy 140 (2019) 905e911
Table 4
Economic comparisons, two scenarios v. baseline design.
Economic Parameters Scenario 1 (Hybrid) Scenario 2 (PV Only)
Initial capital cost US$ 142,800 US$ 422,247
Solar PV modules 62,000 194,700
Inverter 18,000 19,045
Batteries 57,800 207,502
Other costs 5000 1000
Net present cost US$ 2.90 M US$ 2.92 M
Levelised cost of energy US$ 0.3556 per kWh US$ 0.3916 per kWh
Return on investment 36.3% 30.1%
Simple payback period 1.76 years 1.80 years
Discounted payback period 1.74 years 1.78 years
4.2. Analysis of results
The economic analysis of both proposed systems is compared
with the baseline design of operating only the diesel generator set
to meet the projected demand, shown in Table 4.
Both scenarios are able to reduce cost of energy by about
68e70% and provides good payback of about 1.7 years. Initial cap-
ital cost is relatively higher with scenario 2 because of the large PV
size required to meet the demand. Although a diesel generator set
is included in the design for scenario 1, this generator set does not
require initial capital as this is already existing on the island (sunk
cost). Considering location constraints, scenario 1 proves to be a
better option for Gilutongan. This scenario is also able to fulfil 100%
of the electrical demand of the island.
5. Conclusions
As an archipelagic country, the Philippines is composed of many
rural, off-grid islands that have very limited access to electricity.
Gilutongan is one of these islands and sources its electricity from a
194-kVA diesel generator set donated by the provincial govern-
ment, as most off-grid islands do. This generator set is operated for
4.5 h per day, serving the island from 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Currently, island residents pay about US$ 1.21 per kWh for this
inadequate supply, a tariff that is considered too steep for each
household. As a solution, renewable energy could be harnessed to
fulfil the electricity demand of this island. Two proposals are pre-
sented e a hybrid system considering the existing diesel generator
set and limiting the PV installation per the available location; and a
purely solar PV system without location constraints. Using HOMER,
these two proposed systems are simulated and compared against a
baseline system of operating only the diesel generator set to meet
the demand. Simulation results show that the optimal solution is to
implement a diesel-solar hybrid system on the island. With this
system, the cost of energy is reduced to US$ 0.3556 per kWh.
Economic results are also promising, showing that payback for the
additional solar PV installation is expected within 1.7 years.
6. Recommendations
The results of this case study provided for an efficient system
that could supply 24-h electricity to the off-grid island village of
Gilutongan. However, there are certain considerations that need to
be factored in to improve this system.
The variation of load is not heavily studied in this case. Potential
variations could be based on the daily load or the seasonal load on
the island as survey suggested that heavy electricity use is experi-
enced during special occasions. The demand should also take into
consideration population growth, thus, potential increase in elec-
tricity usage. Moreover, the design is based solely on the projected
demand per survey. The scalability of the system should also be
studied further to consider these potential increases. It is also seen
that a better way to project demand is to consider the socio-
economic profile of the respondents to gage their ability to pur-
chase appliances and the type of appliance that they will buy as this
will affect the assumptions on power consumption. The specifics of
the PV installation architecture are not explored and the details of
how this installation will be done in the two locations could be
discussed further. Other technologies like peer-to-peer solar grids
and floating solar as well as other renewable energy sources could
also be explored as potential means to increase capacity, as needed.
Further studies could also consider desalination as part of the load
demand as water is a primary need for the island.
If an energy system that could supply 24-h electricity to the
island is put in place, a detailed study on operations and mainte-
nance, and the entities that would be involved in the operation of
the energy facility should also be done. The study only considered
the techno-economic aspect; other dimensions such as political,
environmental, social, and legal should be taken into account when
considering energy system sustainability.
Acknowledgement
The authors would like to extend their gratitude to the CHED-
Newton Fund Institutional Links project of the University of San
Carlos (USC) Center for Research in Energy Systems and Technol-
ogies (CREST), under the leadership of Isabelo A. Rabuya, for
granting the opportunity to conduct this research. Acknowledge-
ment is also due to the Sustainable Energy Research Group (SERG)
of the University of Southampton (UoS) under the guidance of Prof.
AS Bahaj for making this work possible and for providing the
necessary tools to complete this paper; to the DOST-ERDT program
for providing support; to the USC School of Engineering, under the
deanship of Prof. Dr. Evelyn B. Taboada, for continuing to find
prospects for advancement; and to the CREST research assistants,
especially to Arben Vallente and Gelly Ann Zamora, for their
invaluable support to the data gathering of this work.
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