The National Electrification Administration (NEA), in partnership with the electric cooperatives (ECs), has energized 362 sitios under its Sitio Electrification Program (SEP) from January to April 2021, while efforts to bring power to off-grid areas are ongoing.
NEA data showed the bulk of these newly energized areas were in Mindanao with 200 sitios, followed by the Visayas with 106 sitios, and Luzon with 56 sitios.
These newly energized sitio projects were funded by the previous years’ General Appropriations Acts.
Broken down per region: six sitios were energized in Region II; two sitios in Cordillera Administrative Region; 10 sitios in Region III; five sitios in Region IV-A; 21 sitios in Region IV-B; and 12 sitios in Region V.
At least 11 sitios were energized in Region VI; 78 sitios in Region VII; 17 sitios in Region VIII; seven sitios in Region IX; 81 sitios in Region X; seven sitios in Region XI; 67 sitios in Region XII; 27 sitios in CARAGA; and 11 sitios in BARMM.
These newly energized sitio projects were funded by the previous years’ General Appropriations Acts.
For this year’s SEP implementation, the NEA has an approved budget of P1.627 billion. This amount will be able to electrify 1,085 sitios nationwide. Energizing a sitio costs an average P1.5 million.
Meanwhile, for the energization of off-grid areas in the countryside, the NEA is undertaking two solutions: the Strategized Sitio Electrification Program (SSEP) and the Strategized Household Electrification Program (SHEP).
The SSEP has an allocated budget of P12 million under the 2019 GAA to conduct a feasibility study on establishing a mini-grid system with renewable energy sources.
Feasibility study is currently being done in six off-grid sites under the franchise areas of Quezon II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (QUEZELCO II), Zamboanga del Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ZANECO), and South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SOCOTECO II).
Meanwhile, for the energization of off-grid areas in the countryside, the NEA is undertaking two solutions: the Strategized Sitio Electrification Program (SSEP) and the Strategized Household Electrification Program (SHEP).
The SHEP, on the other hand, is intended to bring electricity to dispersed and isolated households, which are unviable for grid connection for the next five years. The target is to electrify at least 5,000 households in off-grid areas using Solar Home Systems.
The installation of SHS is now ongoing in the household beneficiaries under the coverage areas of ZANECO, Busuanga Island Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BISELCO), Iloilo III Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ILECO III), Camarines Sur IV Electric Cooperative, Inc. (CASURECO IV), and Cotabato Electric Cooperative, Inc. (COTELCO).