NEA Allocates PHP 3.6B to Electrify GIDA Communities

The National Electrification Administration (NEA) announced Thursday that the PHP 3.6-billion budget allocated for rural electrification in 2025 will focus on bringing power to Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) nationwide.

According to the NEA’s Total Electrification and Renewable Energy Development Department (TEREDD), the largest portion of the budget – PHP 2.5 billion or 68 percent – will go to Mindanao.

Target areas include Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Davao del Sur, North and South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Sur, and Sulu.

Additional programs are set for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), particularly in Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao del Norte and Sur, and Lanao del Sur.

Luzon has been allotted PHP 701.2 million, or 19 percent of the total, for projects in Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, Kalinga, Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, and Palawan.

Visayas is set to receive PHP 462.6 million, or 13 percent, for electrification in Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Siquijor, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar.

In a radio interview, NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda said the budget boost from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) reflects a stronger government push to close the rural electrification gap.

“This is a stark improvement compared to previous years when the agency received only PHP 1.6 billion to PHP 1.8 billion,” Almeda said.

Almeda credited President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s commitment to expanding energy access in underserved areas as key to securing the higher allocation.

He said this funding will help NEA move closer to its goal of achieving nationwide electrification by 2028.

The NEA currently employs a three-part strategy: the Sitio Electrification Program (SEP), Barangay Line Enhancement Program (BLEP), and the Solar Photovoltaic Mainstreaming Program (PVM).

Administrator Almeda described the PVM as a “gamechanger” in powering remote communities using off-grid solar energy solutions.

“This year, we are targeting to distribute about 50,000 to 60,000 solar home systems in far-flung communities,” Almeda said.

So far, the NEA and its 121 electric cooperative partners have deployed 26,292 solar home system (SHS) units nationwide.

“It’s an uphill climb and challenging, but the NEA is fully determined to reach people on the mountainside,” Almeda added.

According to the NEA, rural electrification plays a critical role in economic development by enabling education, health services, and livelihood in remote communities.

The agency’s initiatives align with broader national goals of energy equity and support the Philippines’ commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 7: access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.