Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, during the Senate plenary debates on the 2024 budget proposal of the Department of Energy (DOE) on Monday, November 13, raised significant concerns about the lack of electrification in remote areas of the country and emphasized the urgent need for addressing this gap. He also expressed his concern about recurring brownouts in select areas around the country.

In his manifestation, Go highlighted DOE's integral contribution to lighting up households across the Philippines, noting the profound impact of their work on the lives of citizens.

"The DOE plays a pivotal role in the electrification of households across the nation, particularly in far-flung sitios and barangays," said Go.

"This commitment is not just a matter of convenience but one that directly impacts the lives of our fellow citizens, bringing light to even the remotest corners of our archipelago," he added.

However, Go also brought attention to the ongoing issue of power outages in various regions, including in Samal, Davao Del Norte as well as in Palawan, and Mindoro. He reminded the DOE of the importance of monitoring these areas to prevent further brownouts.

He stated, "Konting (manifestation) lang po, hindi ito question kundi paalala lang po sa ating Department of Energy to monitor areas po, yung mga lugar na nagkakaroon pa rin po ng brownout."

Go also cited a previous Senate hearing that focused on the brownouts in Samal. He noted that while there had been some improvement after the hearing, the issue was still not fully resolved.

"During one of our hearings po ay dininig natin ang brownouts sa Samal. After the hearing, medyo nabawasan na po ang brownout. Pero still, may konti konti pa," said Go.

He then extended his reminder to DOE, urging them to check and monitor compliance to avoid further brownouts. He noted the inconvenience caused by these incidents to ordinary Filipinos, especially to their livelihood.

"Yun lang naman po, gusto lang nating (ipaalala), pakicheck, pakimonitor kung na-comply na po, (para maiwasan) yung mga brownouts," he said.