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A private sector-led consortium has started construction on what it describes as the country’s largest microgrid rollout in a scaled push to electrify underserved and off-grid communities while unlocking local economic growth.

WEnergy Global, alongside CleanGrid Partners and Maharlika Clean Power Holdings, broke ground on March 20–21, 2026 for a portfolio of 24 off-grid microgrids, with initial sites in barangays Caruray and San Vicente in northern Palawan, and Taburi in Rizal, southern Palawan.

The USD 35-million project is expected to deliver 24/7 electricity to more than 50,000 people across Palawan, Cebu, and Quezon, covering around 12,000 households and some 400 small and medium enterprises (SMEs), based on project details shared by the consortium.

“This milestone builds on our proven track record and signals the next phase of scaling resilient, distributed energy solutions, designed to empower communities, strengthen local economies, and create lasting impact where it matters most,” WEnergy Global said.

Quintin Pastrana, president of WEnergy Power Pilipinas said the initial Palawan sites were selected to demonstrate how reliable power can unlock distinct local economic drivers.

“We’re beginning construction in two areas of Palawan—Northern Palawan and Southern Palawan. So this is in Caruray, San Vicente in the North, which has heavy tourism potential, and then you’re looking at the South—Taburi in Rizal—which represents a more agro-business site,” Pastrana said in an interview with ANC 24/7.

“In both areas, we think it’s a great case study to unleash the great economic growth and suppressed demand of those areas with two different economic structures,” he added.

The broader rollout includes about 20 sites across Palawan—from Coron and Busuanga down to Rizal and Bataraza—as well as projects in northern Cebu, including Daanbantayan and Medellin, and island areas such as Polillo and Balesin.

“The power to transform that area will really spearhead and catalyze growth for the sector and hopefully we reach the government target of energization within the decade,” Pastrana said.

The rollout aligns with efforts by the Department of Energy to open unserved and underserved areas to private microgrid developers through competitive selection. In April 2024, the Maharlika Consortium was awarded contracts under the DOE’s Microgrid Systems Service Provider program following a competitive selection process covering sites in Cebu, Quezon, and Palawan.

Pastrana said the consortium is targeting rapid deployment timelines, citing prior experience and contractor capacity.

“We can do the building in 6–8 months because of our experience and we’re going to be doing this simultaneously with qualified, world-class contractors,” he said.

Pastrana described the investment as a strategic move to stimulate local economies while advancing energy access and sustainability goals.

Do microgrids at this scale meaningfully accelerate rural electrification in the Philippines—and what policy or financing mechanisms are needed to replicate this model nationwide?

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