NEA eyes help in managing P33-B projects

State-run National Electrification Administration has called for the creation of sitio electrification units within electric cooperatives to help manage the government’s planned rollout of some P33 billion worth of rural electrification projects over the next five years.

In a statement, NEA officials explained that the sitio electrification units would help in the management and monitoring of two programs, namely the Sitio Electrification and Barangay Line Enhancement.

According to the National Electrification Administration, the proposed sitio electrification units will oversee the electrification of more household connections.

The units will serve as the link between and among departments and the general manager in their respective electric cooperatives and will be responsible in implementing systematic project management to ensure integrity of all data, reports and compliance to requirements in relation to electrification projects.

“Considering the volume and timelines of the project in terms of manpower, materials and funding, it is important for the electric cooperatives to adopt strategies to ensure attainment of commitments,” said NEA Administrator Edita S. Bueno.

Electric cooperatives are the National Electrification Administration’s partners in the implementation of the government’s Rural Electrification Program.

So far, the program has provided power to 1,475 municipalities and cities, 36,049 villages (barangay), 81,736 sitios (sub-villages). Also, some 9.46 million households, or about 47 million Filipinos nationwide, benefited from the program.

The Department of Energy hopes that by 2017, about 90 percent of households across the country will have access to electricity. For this year alone, the DOE has earmarked P2.5 billion for such projects.

Energy Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras earlier said that the government’s aggressive and renewed thrust toward household electrification was rooted in the belief that electricity would stimulate economic growth in the rural areas where it is needed the most.

By providing access to electricity and power, rural residents are also empowered and are given the chance to have better access to education, livelihood and a chance for a brighter future. This situation, likewise, would create a more dynamic distribution of resources in the country.