Philippines accelerates push to light up rural homes

OVER A MILLION households in the Philippines remain without electricity, a gap the government aims to close within the next three years.

- By Sheldeen Joy Talavera Reporter

Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin said the Department of Energy (DoE) and National Electrification Administration (NEA) are deploying a mix of strategies to speed up household energization, including microgrid systems, solarized homes, and streamlined grid connections.

“Just a little more and we'll be close to 100%,” she said in a speech last year, “For every one peso the government spends on electrification, we get four pesos in return. So, it’s an investment for us and for our children.”

During his fourth State of the Nation Address in July 2025, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. directed the DoE and NEA to accelerate efforts to fully electrify the country before the end of his term in 2028.

As of June 2025, about 28.27 million households have been energized, accounting for 94.77% of the projected households from the 2020 Philippine Statistics Authority census.

Luzon posted the highest electrification rate at 98.53%, followed by the Visayas at 95.78%, while Mindanao continues to trail at 83.81%, highlighting the difficulty of reaching last-mile communities.

Under the 2024-2028 National Electrification Roadmap, the government was targeting a 96.51% electrification rate by the end of 2025.

The DoE’s Electric Power Industry Management Bureau (EPIMB) said achieving full electrification by 2028 will require an estimated P80.9 billion, with around P68.26 billion expected from government financing and P12.64 billion from private investments.

The funds will cover household connections to existing grids, distribution line extensions, standalone home systems, and microgrid projects.