SAN ISIDRO, Nueva Ecija – The National Electrification Administration (NEA) has already energized 83 percent of the 15 million target households nationwide, a ranking official said Thursday.
NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong said the government is on track with its rural electrification program with only 2.55 million potential household connections to accomplish.
The agency, he said, has energized at least 12.45 million potential household connections nationwide as of June 30, this year.
In the first six months of 2018, he said the 121 electric cooperatives under NEA’s supervision energized a total of 260,224 new connections or 56 percent of the full-year target of 460,000 new consumers.
“Most of the remaining assignments are in Mindanao areas, particularly in Region 11 and 12,” Masongsong said.
The NEA official graced the inauguration of a multi-million peso new Member Consumer Owner Building of the Nueva Ecija 1 Electric Cooperative (NEECO 1) in Barangay Malapit here.
He said the government has made different funding sources available for the electrification program, thus realization of its projects was never far-fetched.
He believed that rural electrification is the backbone of the economy. “Because without power, there will be no development. We need the power to realize development in totality, particularly sustainable rural development,” he said.
He underscored that President Rodrigo Duterte himself has been pushing for full electrification of the country.
“No less than the President of the Republic, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, wants to complete the rural electrification,” Masongsong said.
Meanwhile, NEECO 1 general manager Bonifacio Patiag said the new building was established for the convenience of consumer-members themselves.
NEECO 1 has been adjudged Top Performing Electric Cooperative -Category AAA; Consistent Category AAA for the last five years and Highest Level in Consumer Connections. (Marilyn Galang/PNA)
