The National Electrification Administration (NEA) aims to energize 94 percent of remote households nationwide this year, aligned with its five-year electrification plan.

NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda said over the weekend that the agency will focus on underserved provinces to hit its targets, especially in Mindanao despite financial challenges.

The NEA recorded an 89 percent electrification rate in 2023, which rose to 91 percent in 2024. The agency aims to push this to 94 percent by the end of 2025.

“I was informed that Congress heard already the funding requirement, and we are expecting by 2025, we will be reaching about 94 percent, if all logistical support and funding support will be present,” Almeda said.

“We are targeting by 2028, we can fully energize the whole Philippines. But, of course, that requires some funding support. Definitely, with what we have right now, we are doing our best to extend and maximize the supply of electricity in remote areas,” Almeda said.

Brownout-free polls

He also assured that contingency measures in electric cooperative franchise areas will be in place by May to ensure outage-free operations at polling stations during the national and local elections.

Under the 2025 General Appropriations Act, NEA received a P1.627-billion government subsidy to electrify 22,000 households, mirroring its 2024 allocation. An additional P200 million was earmarked for the Electric Cooperatives Emergency and Resiliency Fund.

NEA Acting Department Manager for Rural Electrification Special Program Office Raymond Napilot confirmed that funding levels for rural electrification projects remained unchanged from last year.

The 2025 GAA also allocated P2 billion for NEA’s ongoing programs, including Photovoltaic Mainstreaming, Sitio Electrification, and Barangay Line Enhancement Programs.

Almeda acknowledged the persistent challenges in securing adequate funds for total electrification, but he reaffirmed NEA’s commitment to its 2028 goal of fully energizing the Philippines.