All barangays will have electricity by yearend

The government expects to complete the country’s rural electrification program or the electrification of all Philippine barangays (villages) before the yearends.

Edita Bueno, National Electrification Administration (NEA) administrator, on Friday said that by yearend, 100 percent of the country’s barangays would already be enjoying steady power supply.

In line with this target, NEA plans to connect the remaining 824 barangays without electricity to the grid in the coming months.

From to 2001 to date, the country’s level of electrification increased from 77 percent to 98 percent of the 42,000 barangays nationwide.

Within this period some 7,408 barangays all over the country were energized, of which 5,773 were undertaken by NEA and state-administered electric cooperatives.

As of June 2009, the government has spent P49.32 billion or roughly P6,000 per connection for each barangay under the electrification program.

Of the amount, P37.64 billion came from loans and P11.68 billion were from subsidies.

The electrification program resulted in 8.27 million consumer connections; posted a 13.19-percent average system loss; erected 1.86 million electric poles; constructed 274,663 circuit kilometers of distribution lines; commissioned 557 substation units with 4, 314 MVA capacity; 11.4 million kilowatt-hour meters installed; and established 17,000 industries.

Despite these accomplishments, 30,033 of 90,290 sitios—or areas smaller than barangays—throughout the country still do not have electricity.

“We shall intensify all our efforts until all the rural homes in the barangays and sitios shall have been enjoying the benefits of electric power and these areas shall have been transformed into vibrant communities,” Bueno said.  –Euan Paulo C. Anonuevo, Reporter, Manila Times