Mindanao is a priority for the government’s electrification project due to the number of far-flung areas that still cannot be reached due to their location.

Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon program Thursday, said 94.9 percent of households in the country are now energized.

“Pero iyong 5 percent iyong hinahabol palagi kasi the growth rate is also fast. But we’re concentrating more on Mindanao now kasi Mindanao is slower than Visayas and Luzon. At para lang may parity din ‘no, once you energize kasi progress comes eh (But the 5 percent is what we’re always running after, because the growth rate is fast. But we’re concentrating more on Mindanao because it’s slower than Visayas and Luzon. And to also have parity, once you energize, progress comes in),” she said.

Garin said it is expensive to connect some islands to the grid due to their remote locations, with some as far as 20 kilometers from the tapping point, and because the number of households is just a few.

Thus, there is a need to be creative in how to provide these households with electricity, she said.

One of the options is the provision of solar-powered facilities that include bulb, solar panels and battery pack per household, she said.

“Hopefully, we can cover more and more because every island or every community need its unique solution, not just to simply connect them all. There has to be a better solution than just connecting,” she said.

The DOE and the National Electrification Administration have been directed, under the fourth State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., to ensure the electrification of unserved households.

Under this bid, DOE needs to conduct a Competitive Selection Process for Microgrid System Providers to connect around 12,000 households in off-grid areas, namely in Quezon, Camarines Norte, Palawan, Masbate, Samar, Negros Occidental and Zamboanga del Sur. (PNA)