The National Electrification Administration (NEA) and electric cooperatives (ECs) are closer to hitting their target for customer connections this year.
According to the NEA Information Technology and Communication Services Department (ITCSD) data, there are 304,674 new consumer connections reached as of July, or 66 percent of the target this year.
In addition, there are 44,450 connections that were registered in the month of July alone. This results in the overall level of energization to 12,491,166 or 83 percent of the total potential connections nationwide.
Majority of the connections were located in Region VI with 32,623; Region III with 32,607; and CARAGA with 26,185 new connections.
Agusan del Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc. is the biggest contributor among the 121 ECs with 12,257 connections; second is the South Cotabota II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Socoteo II) with 7,744; lastly the Batangas II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Batelec II) with 7,386 new connections.
Other major contributor ECs are the Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative (Daneco) with 6,372, Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Cenpelco) with 6,359, Albay Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Aleco) with 6,024, Sultan Kudarat Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Sukelco) with 6,006, Cotabato Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Cotelco) with 5,401, Capiz Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Capelco) with 4,939, and Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Noceco) III with 4,768 new connections.
The NEA and its partnered ECs continue to explore ways to meet the government’s target of electrifying each household in remote areas by 2020.
There are efforts to achieve this goal such as government subsidies, funding under the DOE’s Energy Regulation No.1-94 program, donations or grants, internally generated funds of ECs, QTP program, private sector participation, and ECs’ capital expenditure program.
NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong recognized the role of electricity when it comes to the acceleration of economic development, especially in the countryside.
“Access to electricity is no longer a privilege but a human right because power brings development. Without power, there will be no development,” the NEA chief said.
