Government urged to expand delivery of power to remote areas

MANILA, Philippines - The government has been urged to expand the delivery of electricity to far-flung areas in the country to benefit more Filipinos in the countryside.

Sen. Francis Escudero made this call during his keynote address to some 700 participants from 100 electric cooperatives nationwide at the National Electrification Administration (NEA)-Electric Cooperatives Conference and Recognition at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu City.

For her part, NEA administrator Edita Bueno welcomed Escudero’s challenge.

“We are honored of the senator’s support to NEA and the ECs. We are thankful to Fr. Francisco Silva, former Presidential Adviser on Rural Electrification and former NEA administrator who has introduced Sen. Escudero to the Rural Electrification Program (REP) in 2008. The senator has since backed the cause of the electric coops especially during the Congressional debates on certain provisions of the Cooperative Development Code which could have adversely affected the operations of the ECs and their member-consumers,” Bueno said.

Escudero also urged the ECs to increase their asset base through capital build up.

The lawmaker likewise encouraged these small power distributors to explore other business opportunities through partnership with telephone companies, water utilities, home developers, among others, to improve collection efficiency, increase income and strengthen relations with other entities and institutions.

“Rest assured that I be will be at your side, at your back or in front of you on issues and concerns which will affect your journey towards the development of this country and our people,” Escudero said.

NEA and the ECs are on a three-day conference to affirm the Rep’s achievements, highlighting the competitive advantage and value of their partnership; to reinforce the importance of unified generation, transmission and distribution aspects of the energy sector in support of the ECs’ operational performance and viability.

The conference also aims to strengthen ECs as business institutions through good governance.

It will also recognize excellence and outstanding practices of best performing ECs.