NEA provides P700-M assistance to Palawan electric cooperative since 2022
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — The National Electrification Administration (NEA) has provided approximately P700 million in assistance to the Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO) since 2022 to strengthen electricity distribution and troubleshooting operations across the province.
NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda said the agency is working to expand distribution lines from northern to southern Palawan through improvements to barangay power lines and programs aimed at extending electricity services to sitios.
The agency has also formed a task force to improve troubleshooting operations and strengthen its response capabilities across the island province.
Almeda said Palawan's approximately 600-kilometer sub-transmission network poses a major operational challenge, as a fault in one section can disrupt electricity services across a wider area.
He emphasized the need to strengthen response teams to address electrical problems and speed up power restoration.
The NEA administrator said assistance extended to PALECO has reached approximately P700 million since he assumed office in 2022.
Meanwhile, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin has asked PALECO to submit its distribution development plan covering September to October 2026.
The request followed the presentation of the Department of Energy's master plan aimed at improving Palawan's power supply stability by 2027.
Garin also emphasized the importance of balancing network expansion costs with electricity rates, noting that additional distribution infrastructure could affect consumer charges.
However, a detailed breakdown of the P700 million in assistance, including the specific projects funded and their completion status, was not provided in the published report.
The timeline for the proposed distribution improvements and the communities to be prioritized also remains unclear.
The initiatives aim to improve electricity reliability across Palawan, where the province's vast geographic area makes network maintenance and fault response particularly challenging.