Marcos vows to end energy gaps by 2028

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has flipped the switch on every administration's ambitious plan to electrify the entire nation, vowing to power up the remaining three million Filipino homes still in the dark and push sweeping reforms in the country’s energy sector before he steps out of office in 2028.

“Pagpasok ng Administrasyong ito, mahigit limang milyon ang mga bahay na wala pang kuryente. Sa loob ng tatlong taon, dalawa at kalahating milyong kabahayan ang ating nakabitan na, na may kuryente na sila,” Marcos said during his State of the Nation Address on Monday.

Marcos said the government is targeting to energize over a million more households through solar home systems by 2028, with efforts led by the Department of Energy (DOE) and National Electrification Administration (NEA).

He added that nearly 200 power plants are expected to be completed within the next three years.

“Ito ay may kakayahang magpailaw sa apat na milyong kabahayan, o sa mahigit na dalawang libong pabrika, o sa halos pitong libong tanggapan at negosyo,” he said.

Marcos acknowledged that while the country has become globally recognized for its commitment to renewable energy, many Filipinos still suffer from power interruptions and high power cost.

To address affordability, the government will expand the Lifeline Rate to include families listed in the government’s Listahanan database whose power consumption does not exceed the threshold.

“Habang inaayos natin ang kumplikado nating sistema ng enerhiya sa bansa upang maipababa ang presyo, pinapalawig pa natin ang Lifeline Rate,” he said.

Marcos also directed the DOE to advance the Net Metering Program, allowing consumers to save on electricity and sell excess power back to the grid, and asked the Energy Regulatory Commission to expedite its approval process.