AS Filipino families continue to grapple with high electricity costs, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said making power more affordable for consumers must go hand in hand with ensuring universal access to electricity.
Marking National Electrification Awareness Month this August, Gatchalian urged the National Electrification Administration (NEA) to complete the government’s rural electrification program by 2028, emphasizing that millions of Filipinos remain without electricity. He noted that, as of June last year, nearly 3 million Filipino households still had no access to electricity.
The NEA has been allotted P13.16 billion this year, including P9.342 billion for the National Rural Electrification Program and P2.6 billion in loans to electric cooperatives.
‘Hindi katanggap-tanggap na mayroon pa tayong mga kababayan na wala pang kuryente sa panahon ng digital age. Binigyan natin ng sapat na suporta sa budget ang programang ito sa loob ng maraming taon kaya’t dapat lang na magkaroon ng kuryente ang lahat ng Pilipino sa lalong madaling panahon,’ Gatchalian said.
‘Reliable electricity for every Filipino household is crucial to improving lives and lowering long-term power costs by expanding access and strengthening the distribution network. ‘