Senator Win Gatchalian has welcomed the approval of the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), noting that it will significantly advance the government’s rural electrification efforts.
“We hope that the budget allocation for the National Electrification Administration for 2025 would help push the rural electrification program to its completion in the next couple of years,” Gatchalian said, following the signing of the P6.352 trillion budget.
Under the approved budget, NEA has been allocated P1.87 billion to provide electricity to approximately 22,000 households through its strategic rural electrification initiatives.
NEA previously cited insufficient government funding as the biggest challenge to achieving 100% rural electrification.
As of June 2023, an estimated 4.2 million households nationwide remain without electricity. The government’s target is to achieve full electrification by 2028.
Gatchalian emphasized that while progress has been made under the five-year electrification plan, securing continued budgetary support is essential for reaching this goal.
“Ang kuryente ay isang pangunahing pangangailangan para sa iba’t ibang negosyo na kailangan natin sa mga malalayong lugar para makapagbigay ng trabaho at para sa tuloy-tuloy na pag-unlad ng ekonomiya,” he said.
Electrification in the Philippines reached 89% in 2023 and has since increased to 91% in 2024. The government aims to reach 94% by 2025, 97% by 2026, and 100% by 2027.
As of August 2024, NEA has energized 1,153 sitios through subsidies provided in the previous year.IMT
