DOE seeks P2-billion budget for 2019

By Lenie Lectura-  August 8, 2018

https://businessmirror.com.ph/doe-seeks-p2-billion-budget-for-2019/

The Department of Energy (DOE) on Wednesday identified six regions with electrification levels falling below 60 percent.

There are four in Mindanao—Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, 27.4 percent; Soccsksargen, 65.6 percent; Zamboanga Peninsula, 67 percent; Davao region, 68.2 percent; one in the Visayas—the Negros Island Region, 79.3 percent; and one in Luzon—Mimaropa, 79.9 percent.

DOE Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella said the private sector could take over in these areas to ensure access to electricity for the communities that remain unserved and underserved.

“Yes, we will open these six regions to the private sector in partnership with the distribution utilities. If not, the NPC [National Power Corp.] can come in,” Fuentebella said.

The DOE, during the House Committee on Energy hearing on Tuesday, assured lawmakers that it is working very hard to energize 3 million households more at the soonest possible time through its Total Electrification Program (TEP).

Based on the 2015 census, the December 2017 data of the DOE pegs the current household electrification level at 88.3 percent, with 21 million of the 24 million households in the country having access to electricity.

The goal is to achieve 100 percent electrification by 2022.

To help achieve this sooner, the DOE seeks the support of the committee to approve its proposed 2019 budget of P2 billion. Of which, 25 percent or P505 million is earmarked for the TEP.

The agency said it will align all of its efforts on providing electricity services to about 14,320 households with the National Electrification Administration, the NPC, the distribution utilities and other key stakeholders in the energy industry.

“We are aggressively pursuing initiatives catering to the unserved and underserved areas of the country to promote inclusive growth. This initiative supports AmBisyon Natin 2040—providing a strongly rooted, comfortable and secure life for all Filipinos,” Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said.

Cusi further emphasized that achieving total electrification is more than a budgetary matter. Bringing power to the remotest zones of the Philippines entails effective collaboration with distribution utilities given that unserved and underserved sectors are located within their franchise areas.