The Last Mile Burden

The directive is clear and ambitious: 100% household electrification by 2028. As declared by Energy Secretary Sharon Garin during the National Electrification Administration’s (NEA) recent anniversary celebration in Bacolod, this is a mandate from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. himself. It’s a goal rooted in the noble pursuit of equitable development, aiming to finally bring light to the last remaining unserved communities in the Philippines.

No one can argue with the objective. But as the applause from the announcement fades, a critical question emerges: Who will bear the weight of this monumental task? The answer, as always, is our electric cooperatives (ECs). While the goal is set in Manila, the immense pressure to perform lands squarely on the shoulders of these local, often under-resourced, frontliners. We must ask if we are truly empowering them for success or simply setting them up to fail.

The government’s call for help – “The DOE and NEA cannot do this alone. We need your help,” Garin said – frames the mission as a partnership. Yet, it glosses over a difficult history. NEA is now 56 years old, and for more than five decades, it has worked with ECs on this very mission. If total electrification were a simple matter of will, it would have been achieved long ago. The reality is that the remaining unserved areas are the hardest and most expensive to reach.

Placing this final, difficult burden on ECs without a commensurate upgrade in support is a recipe for frustration. These cooperatives are already stretched thin. They are the first responders after the increasingly frequent and severe typhoons, tasked with rebuilding downed lines under the most difficult conditions. As Secretary Garin herself acknowledged, they show “true public service even in times of crisis.” But praise doesn’t reinforce concrete poles or purchase modern equipment.

The government’s approach appears to be one of pressure disguised as partnership. The ultimatum for Siquijor is a case in point. “The President is very concerned,” Garin warned, setting a deadline for the end of the year for service to normalize. This places the local co-op directly in the line of fire, making it accountable for systemic issues that may be beyond its control, such as generation supply or grid stability. This is the classic playbook of an unfunded mandate: a top-down directive without the guaranteed, upfront resources to match.

Furthermore, the political rush toward a 2028 deadline risks prioritizing quantity over quality. Connecting a household is one thing; providing it with reliable, affordable power is another entirely. A line on an electrification map is a hollow victory for a family that still endures daily brownouts. The persistent power interruptions in Siquijor and Camotes are proof that the challenge extends far beyond simply stringing wires. The true goal must be quality service, which means building a resilient grid that can withstand climate shocks and deliver consistent power.

Affordability is the other pillar of meaningful access. What good is a connection if the monthly bill is prohibitive for a low-income family? The push to properly implement the lifeline rate is crucial. True electrification is measured not by the number of switches installed, but by the number of people who can afford to keep them on.

To be firm but fair, the cooperative model, which has brought light to millions, may need to evolve to conquer this final frontier. The solution is not to burden ECs with impossible expectations but to provide immediate, tangible support. This means more than just promises of future funding. It requires a concerted government effort to streamline the notoriously slow process for permits and right-of-way, provide upfront technical assistance, and make serious investments in climate-proofing our rural energy infrastructure.

We must also be open to new models of management and operation. It was notable that private sector players like Negros Electric and Power Corp. and Vivant Energy were present and speaking at the NEA event. We should seriously study the potential of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to shore up the capabilities of struggling cooperatives. Models like the joint venture in Negros or the distribution utility framework of MORE Power in Iloilo City could offer pathways to inject much-needed capital and technical expertise, enhancing service without abandoning the social mission of electrification.

The 2028 goal is within reach, but we cannot get there by simply pushing our ECs harder. To truly ensure no Filipino is left in the dark, we must empower our frontliners with modern tools, robust support, and realistic strategies. When the light finally reaches the last home, it must be a light that is reliable, affordable, and, most importantly, one that stays on.