Gov't faces P70-B gap for 100% electrification

Powering every Filipino home is still P70 billion out of reach, with next year’s budget covering only less than 10 percent of the funding needed to reach the target before President Marcos’ term ends.

- By BRIX LELIS

“As proposed in the NEP (National Expenditure Program), it’s probably only around P5 billion (in 2026), and actually, we need about P69 billion or P70 billion,” Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said in an interview.

Despite the meager budget allocation for next year, Garin affirmed that the Department of Energy (DOE) remains confident that the country would achieve total household electrification by 2028.

“I think there will be ways to fund that eventually. I think it’s already being discussed at the Executive (Branch) where the funds will come from, but there’s a way to reach that,” she noted.