DEPARTMENT of Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said that the promises of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), including lower power rates and electrification of more Filipinos could be accomplished within his term.
Garin said the budget of the National Electrification Administration would increase next year to hasten the country’s electrification program by the end of the Marcos administration.
“[Sa] 2028 eh mas kaunti na lang walang electricity sa bansa natin pero ang maganda ngayon, eh talagang binibilisan, bumubuhos ang gobyerno ng pera para po sa electrification,” Garin told DZMM’s Gising Pilipinas on Tuesday, July 29.
Marcos on Monday acknowledged the need to energize far-flung areas in the country as millions of Filipinos remained unconnected to any power grid or source.
“Kaya, binibilisan nating mabigyan ng koneksyon at pinapalakas pa lalo ang kakayahan ng ating gumagawa ng kuryente. Pagpasok ng administrasyong ito, mahigit limang milyon ang mga bahay na wala pang kuryente. Sa loob ng tatlong taon, dalawa at kalahating milyong kabahayan ang ating nakabitan na, na may kuryente na sila,” Marcos said in his SONA.
The President said more than a million out of 3.67 million Filipinos would have power source by the end of his term through the solar power system.
Marcos also mentioned steep electricity prices and how the government intended to bring themdown.
“Sa susunod na tatlong taon, halos 200 planta ang ating tatapusin. Ito ay may kakayahang magpailaw sa apat na milyong kabahayan, o sa mahigit na 2,000 pabrika, o sa halos 7,000 tanggapan at negosyo,” said Marcos.
For Garin, the goal of lower electricity prices is achievable during the remaining years of the Marcos administration.
“Sa akin lang, kaya naman, kayang magpababa during this administration, di ko lang masabi kung magkano, pero kaya,” said Garin. (ABS-CBN News)
