The National Electrification Administration (NEA), together with the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Power Corporation (NPC), has started efforts to rehabilitate the Basilan Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BASELCO) and address long-standing power supply issues in the province.

In a power forum held Monday in Isabela City, NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda, DOE Secretary Sharon Garin, and NPC President Jericho Nograles met with local officials and stakeholders to discuss immediate and long-term solutions to stabilize the island’s electricity service.

Almeda said the government’s initial focus will be the rehabilitation of BASELCO’s old power lines and facilities. “We are drafting the plan to align the sub-transmission backbone along the roads surrounding the entire island,” he said.

The project will require at least PHP 600 million in initial funding to relocate BASELCO’s main distribution lines along major roads. The move is expected to enable faster restoration during outages and improve power reliability.

However, Almeda stressed that technical interventions alone will not solve BASELCO’s problems unless local governments and consumers work together to boost payment compliance. “We just have to make our constituents understand that they have to pay for electricity,” he said, citing the example of Lanao del Sur where “we doubled collection efficiency after mayors helped us explain this to their people.”

“I hope we can instill discipline,” Almeda added, echoing NPC President Nograles’ call for residents to pay their dues to make rehabilitation efforts sustainable.

As part of the government’s broader electrification push, NEA also committed to deploy 3,100 solar home systems under its photovoltaic mainstreaming program, with an additional 5,000 units set for rollout next year to energize off-grid households.

DOE Secretary Garin highlighted Basilan’s development potential once reliable electricity is achieved. “If we can unleash the island’s potential, Basilan can become a showcase for sustainable development,” Almeda said, quoting Garin.

The joint effort marks a renewed national push to stabilize Basilan’s power sector, seen as key to unlocking local economic growth and investor confidence in Mindanao’s southernmost provinces.

How can local governments and electric cooperatives strengthen payment discipline and technical upgrades to ensure lasting improvements in off-grid areas like Basilan?

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