Senator Sherwin Gatchalian answers queries from members of the Senate media during the Kapihan sa Senado forum in Pasay City on Thursday, April 4, 2024. NOY MORCOSO/INQUIRER.NET
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian on Saturday urged the Department of Energy (DOE) to support the establishment of more microgrid systems in far-flung areas in the country to reach nearly 480,000 households that were still without electricity.
“The DOE must persist in its efforts to advocate for the implementation of microgrids in areas that lack access to reliable power and are underserved,” Gatchalian said in a statement.
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“Microgrids are a critical infrastructure for the electrification of our rural communities,” he stressed.
According to the senator, a survey carried out by the Philippine Statistics Authority in 2020 showed that a total of 479,029 households in “missionary areas,” or off-grid communities, were still being deprived of a steady supply of power.