THE National Electrification Administration (NEA) urged the 121-member Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association (Philreca) Inc. to explore the micro grid set-up in their respective franchise areas.
NEA administrator Edgardo Masongsong, in his speech during the 38th Philreca General Membership Assembly held at SMX Convention Center Bacolod Wednesday, August 30, said he wants the electric cooperatives to rationalize themselves from the national down to the regional level.
Masongsong said the Duterte administration recognizes the importance of electrification in spurring development especially in the rural areas.
“The power industry is a dynamic sector,” he said.
The NEA administrator said President Rodrigo Duterte has told him to challenge the energy sector with the following: access to electricity for all, power availability at all times, power reliability, system efficiency and cheap electricity rates.
He added that this year, NEA only got P1.8 billion for the government’s sitio electrification program.
“For 2018, we proposed P5.2 billion but the Department of Budget and Managemnt only gave us P1.8 billion again,” he said.
“The President wants to hasten the electrification program,” Masongsong said.
The two-day national convention, which will end today, is being attended by about 800 delegates.