Negros Power starts rural electrification in DSB

BACOLOD City — Negros Electric and Power Corp. has started a rural electrification project in Barangay Pinowayan, Don Salvador Benedicto, as part of its goal to achieve full regional electrification by 2028.

Negros Power, a unit of Enrique K. Razon Jr.’s Primelectric Holdings, installed its first power pole in the upland community to launch the project in central Philippines.

The project will involve the installation of 41 primary and secondary utility poles and four kilometers of distribution lines.

Once completed, the network will connect 177 households and a local school in three remote communities to the electricity grid.

Negros Power said the project is part of its five-year modernization roadmap, which seeks to replace aging infrastructure, improve grid reliability and provide more affordable electricity across its franchise area.

“This is our mission. This is what inspires us to keep working every day. Every pole we install, every line we build, and every home we energize brings hope, opportunity, and a brighter future to communities that have waited far too long for electricity,” Negros Power said in a statement.

“The project will expand access to reliable electricity in underserved communities, improve education and livelihoods, and uplift the overall quality of life of the residents,” the company added.

The rollout comes as Philippine power distributors continue to expand rural electrification and upgrade aging networks to improve service reliability and support local economic growth.

Negros Power serves central Negros under a congressional franchise covering Bacolod, Silay, Talisay and Bago cities, as well as the municipalities of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto in Negros Occidental.

The company’s franchise law authorizes it to establish, operate and maintain a distribution system for end-users in those areas and ensure continuous and uninterrupted electricity supply in the franchise area.

Negros Power earlier said it was pursuing a five-year rehabilitation and modernization plan for its distribution network, with an initial capital of PHP 2 billion.

The utility said it has already energized 2,061 households across 41 remote communities through its sitio electrification program.

Negros Power plans to connect another 10,241 households in 318 communities over the next few years.

The program also includes incentives for beneficiary communities to maintain safe operations and achieve zero-disconnection status.

Negros Power said the incentives are intended to help ensure the long-term sustainability of newly energized areas.

The company’s latest rollout builds on earlier sitio electrification efforts in central Negros, including projects that had energized at least 1,671 remote households across its coverage area as of June 2025 with investments of nearly PHP 26 million.

For communities in Don Salvador Benedicto, the Pinowayan project is expected to improve access to education, livelihood opportunities and basic household services once the new distribution lines are completed.

Context was checked against Negros Power’s company information, its franchise coverage, and Philippine News Agency reporting on its earlier sitio electrification efforts.