The National Electrification Administration (NEA) will spend at least P600 million to rehabilitate outdated power lines and facilities in Basilan to improve electricity reliability across the island.

NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda said on Tuesday that the project will relocate the Basilan Electric Cooperative, Inc.’s primary distribution lines along major roads to allow faster repairs during technical glitches. 

“We are drafting the plan to align the sub-transmission backbone along the roads surrounding the entire island,” he said.

Almeda stressed that the project's success also depends on residents paying their electricity bills. 

“We just have to make our constituents understand that they have to pay for electricity. In Lanao del Sur, we doubled collection efficiency after mayors helped us explain this to their people.

We can do the same in Basilan,” he added, cautioning that national support alone would not be sustainable if delinquency persists.

To complement the rehabilitation, NEA will roll out 3,100 solar home systems this year under its photovoltaic mainstreaming program, with an additional 5,000 units planned for next year to benefit off-grid households.