Budget limitations will not deter the state-run National Electrification Administration (NEA) from its commitment to bring electricity to every household in the far-flung corners of the country.
NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong reiterated this on Wednesday as he revealed that the agency would be receiving P1.163 billion from the national government to finance electrification projects for 2019. The amount is lower than the P1.817 billion budget allotted in 2018 to energize 1,817 sitios.
Speaking at the Fernandina Media Forum held at Club Filipino in San Juan City, the NEA chief said they would be appealing for more funding in years ahead, citing the 19,740 sitios or 2.4 million households across the country that are yet to be reached by electricity.
“We need more funds,” he said.
Despite all the challenges it faces, the agency has continued to make good progress in meeting its household electrification target, according to the former legislator.
To date, the NEA through its partnership with 121 electric cooperatives (ECs) has successfully energized 12.447 million consumers nationwide.
“Our partnership with the 121 ECs is getting stronger every year, and with them by our side we are making a steady progress towards meeting our target of new rural households having access to electricity for 2018,” Masongsong said.
Latest data from the NEA Information Technology and Communication Services Department (ITCSD) show 260,224 new consumer connections were registered in the first six months or 56 percent of the 460,000 corporate target for the year.
9TH NEAM Celebration
During the media forum, Masongsong also outlined the activities that will be taking place to mark the 9th National Electrification Awareness Month (NEAM) and 49th Founding Anniversary of the NEA.
NEAM is celebrated annually during the month of August pursuant to Proclamation Order No. 1743 and is spearheaded by the NEA. With the theme “Electricity Access for All: A Platform for Nation Building,” this year’s celebration aims to give due recognition to the significant contributions of the electrification program in nation building.
“Because of rural electrification program, we’re able to bring development in the country. That’s why I am saying that the ECs with their organized MCOs (member-consumer-owners) in partnership with government through the NEA are important sector in terms of nation building,” Masongsong said.
This month-long celebration is filled with various activities and programs. One of the major events is the two-day NEA-EC Consultative Conference on August 6 and 7 with House Committee on Energy Chairman Lord Allan Jay Velasco and Department of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi as guests of honor.
In this session, the NEA will feature the hurdles and success stories of the Rural Electrification Program since its establishment in 1969. The agency will also present its strategic initiatives to pursue total electrification of the country.
Another highlight of the celebration is the visit of key officials of 121 ECs to the Senate of the Philippines on August 7 to seek support for proposed legislations that will have a significant impact on the EC sector and its MCOs.
On August 10, Masongsong will lead the commemoration of the agency’s 49th Founding Anniversary with the theme “Going for Gold.” There will also be a Workplace Safety and Wellness Program on August 23 and 24.
The month-long celebration will wrap up with nationwide line clearing and tree-planting activities, which will be carried out simultaneously by all ECs supervised by the NEA on August 31.
The national line clearing day aims to highlight the importance of MCO involvement in line maintenance as the most effective way of addressing system losses, precluding distribution outages and improving services.
