President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday vowed to boost the government’s efforts to improve power and water connection services in the country.
In his State of the Nation Address (SONA), the president said some 200 power plants will be completed in the last three years of his administration.
“We will finish nearly 200 power plants. They will be capable of powering four million households or more than 2,000 factories or almost 7,000 offices and businesses,” Marcos said in Filipino.
However, the chief executive did not cite the actual capacity of the power plants expected to be completed in the coming years.
He added that the government will also pursue the electrification of three million households in the country that remain without electricity.
“When this administration took over, almost 5 million households remained unconnected with electricity. In three years, 2.5 million households have been connected to electricity. The DOE (Department of Energy) and NEA (National Electrification Administration) will pursue the connection of the remaining households from this year until 2028,” Marcos added.
He cited areas where most of these new electricity connections will come from include Quezon Province, Camarines Norte, Palawan, Masbate, Samar, Negros Occidental and Zamboanga del Sur.
After 2028, the president said, an additional one million households will also be provided with rooftop solar power systems as the net metering program will be pushed further by the DOE and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is set to simplify its permitting process.
Under the net-metering program, solar power facility owners with less than 100 kilowatts peak capacity can export their excess electricity to the grid in exchange for electricity bill credits that can be in the form of rebates.
Marcos said the government also continues to resolve power supply issues being experienced in the country especially in off-grid areas.
He specifically mentioned the case of Siquijor, which experienced power supply issues earlier this year.
“I have directed the DOE, NEA, and ERC to restore normal power service in Siquijor before the end of the year. We will ensure that facilities are immediately established for a long-term solution to their power problems. This must not happen again,” Marcos added.
“They should investigate the negligence that occurred here, and other similar cases across the country. They should fix the management of the power companies, and order refunds if necessary,” he said.
Meanwhile, Marcos said the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) will also ensure that water distribution services in the country will be improved and erring providers will be penalized.
“That is why LWUA is now taking effective steps against the poor service of water districts and their joint venture partners. LWUA will ensure that water service for millions of our countrymen is restored and made more affordable. Above all, we will ensure that those who neglect and fail in this important public service are held accountable,” he warned.
Marcos said the government has many large water supply projects in the pipeline to provide clean water throughout the country, paired with modern systems to filter water especially for those residing on islands.
