In Mindanao, 1.2M homes not reached by electricity

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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—At least 1.2 million homes in Mindanao are still without electricity despite some of these homes being near one of the island’s biggest power sources, according to a legislator.

Rep. Julie Uy (Misamis Oriental, second district) said the situation was an irony because some of the communities that have no electricity are near Lake Lanao, one of Mindanao’s biggest sources of power.

“That is almost five million people in Mindanao, who have no electricity,” Uy said on Wednesday, during the ceremonial switching of power to some 1,600 households in Northern Mindanao.

She said the situation was “much worse in Lanao del Sur, where seven out of 10 households has no electricity or access to electricity.”

“[This] is ironic because we get our power from Lake Lanao,” Uy added.

The Department of Energy reported it has been energizing villages in Mindanao, as in the case of the 22 communities in Northern Mindanao.

But Uy said given the number of households yet to be energized, the government faces a daunting task.

She said the backlog in the electrification program could be addressed if the government and the private sector worked hand in hand.

She suggested that the government not only energize each household but also ensure that electricity is affordable.

Uy said a review of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira) might also be needed to find out if it is still relevant. Bobby Lagsa, Inquirer Mindanao