Philippines accelerates push to light up rural homes

Over a million households in the Philippines remain without electricity, a gap the government aims to close within the next three years.

Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin said the Department of Energy (DoE) and National Electrification Administration (NEA) are deploying a mix of strategies to speed up household energization, including microgrid systems, solarized homes, and streamlined grid connections.

“Just a little more and we’ll be close to 100%,” she said in a speech last year. “For every one peso the government spends on electrification, we get four pesos in return. So, it’s an investment for us and for our children.”

During his fourth State of the Nation Address in July 2025, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. directed the DoE and NEA to accelerate efforts to fully electrify the country before the end of his term in 2028.

As of June 2025, about 28.27 million households have been energized, accounting for 94.77% of the projected households from the 2020 Philippine Statistics Authority census.

Luzon posted the highest electrification rate at 98.53%, followed by the Visayas at 95.78%, while Mindanao continues to trail at 83.81%, highlighting the difficulty of reaching last-mile communities.

Under the 2024-2028 National Electrification Roadmap, the government was targeting a 96.51% electrification rate by the end of 2025.

The DoE’s Electric Power Industry Management Bureau (EPIMB) said achieving full electrification by 2028 will require an estimated P80.9 billion, with around P68.26 billion expected from government financing and P12.64 billion from private investments.

The funds will cover household connections to existing grids, distribution line extensions, stand-alone home systems, and microgrid projects.

NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano C. Almeda said the agency expected rural electrification to reach 91.7% by the end of 2025, aiming for 94% by the end of 2026 with higher subsidies from Congress.

“With the increase in the budget, it requires an increase in engineers to validate, inspect, liquidate, and issue certificates of final inspection,” he said during a briefing in December, noting that the issue is being discussed with the Commission on Audit.

EPIMB said insufficient funding and subsidies make grid extension and off-grid projects difficult, particularly in areas where electrification is not commercially viable.

“Because rural electrification is often not profitable, private companies are hesitant to invest. The regulatory and institutional frameworks—tariffs, subsidies, and incentives—may not sufficiently offset risk,” the bureau said.

Much of the work of electrifying last-mile communities has fallen to electric cooperatives and private utilities operating on the ground.

The Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, Inc. (PHILRECA), which represents cooperatives nationwide, said it is aligning its programs to support the government’s 2028 electrification goal.

“We are aligning all available mechanisms, projects, and assistance to ECs (electric cooperatives) in ensuring the attainment of total electrification by 2028,” PHILRECA Executive Director and General Manager Janeene Depay-Colingan said in a statement.

She noted that ECs face obstacles, including difficult terrain, limited infrastructure, high project costs, and logistical constraints, which require innovative and coordinated approaches.

PHILRECA said it is strengthening partnerships with government agencies, optimizing funding mechanisms, deploying modular and renewable energy solutions in off-grid areas, and enhancing the technical capacities of cooperatives.

MICROGRIDS, RENEWABLES

Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), which serves about 3% of the country’s land area, has also expressed support for the national agenda.

“The government’s target of achieving full electrification nationwide by 2028 is ambitious and critical for inclusive development — and Meralco is fully committed to supporting this agenda,” Meralco Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer Ronnie L. Aperocho said.

Meralco is expanding its role in off-grid electrification through microgrid projects. The company targets to energize more than 1,000 homes and businesses on Cagbalete Island in Mauban, Quezon, with a solar-plus-battery microgrid system and backup diesel generation.

“With the launch of the Cagbalete Microgrid, we reaffirm Meralco’s commitment to power progress with sustainable energy solutions, ensuring that no one is left in the dark,” Mr. Aperocho said.

Renewable energy and microgrids are seen as cost-effective solutions for off-grid areas. Many households in remote communities rely on diesel generators or kerosene lamps, which often incur higher and more volatile costs.

“It offers a way to step back from traditional grid extension, reduce reliance on diesel and imported fuels, improve resilience — especially given the country’s exposure to natural disasters — and support inclusive development,” EPIMB said.

Albert R. Dalusung III, energy transition adviser at the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, said that renewable energy can help lower electricity costs for local communities.

He cautioned that efforts should focus not only on expanding coverage but also on delivering reliable power that enables economic activity.

“I think what is important is not just to target full electrification because it may be ‘full electrification,’ but you’re only delivering eight hours or less of electricity,” he said.

Source: Business World

Only 65 percent of farm-to-market roads completed in 5 years

Only 65 percent of the 4,810 farm-to-market road (FMR) projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) were completed from 2021 to 2025, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Only 3,135 projects were completed in the past five years, according to preliminary FMR data the DA shared with the media through its transparency platform, which is currently in beta testing.

Data showed that at least 817 FMR projects have not commenced while 34 projects have been deferred, according to the DA.

Meanwhile, there are at least 677 ongoing funded FMR projects during the five-year period.

There are still at least 27 FMR projects funded in 2021 that are ongoing while there are three more financed in 2022 that are yet to be completed, based on the database.

Data also showed that there are still 28 ongoing FMR projects funded in 2023, 213 projects in 2024 and 406 projects under the 2025 budget.

The DA is updating and refining the database since it is still in its beta stage. The DA plans to publicly launch the transparency platform, dubbed FMR Watch, by February.

The platform features real-time project monitoring and updates as well as detailed financial information and budget for every FMR project. The public can access these for free and is encouraged to scrutinize the FMR projects and subsequently provide feedback and even complaints to the DA.

Each project has been geotagged with proper progress documentation from the start of procurement up to its completion.

The DA vowed to respond to citizens’ complaints regarding FMR projects within 24 hours once the transparency portal has been rolled out.

Throughout the five-year period, the government allocated P76.52 billion for all the 4,810 FMR projects. The 3,135 completed FMR projects were equivalent to nearly 2,400 kilometers of road.

Based on its estimates, at least 721,500 farmers have benefitted from the completed FMR projects across 2,400 communities nationwide, saving them 7,800 hours in transportation time while allowing them to move 240,000 metric tons of produce, according to the DA.

Central Luzon had the top budget allocation for FMR projects at P9 billion followed by the Bicol Region at P7.7 billion and Ilocos Region at P7.4 billion.

The DA assured the public that it has all the capabilities to undertake the completion of FMR projects this year worth P33 billion. 

The implementation of the FMR projects has been transferred to the DA following the controversies and issues surrounding DPWH’s infrastructure projects.

The DA also vowed to construct cheaper but still quality FMRs this year as it seeks to build more roads with its budget. The DA said its FMR projects will cost less than the P15 million per kilometer allocated budget in the past.

Source: Philstar

Marcos-era design center resurrected under Marcos Jr.

The signature trade shows of the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) include Manila FAME, which is centered on home, fashion, and lifestyle goods, and IFEX Philippines, which focuses on food and ingredients.

Both a flaw and feature of these shows are their limited weekend runs, creating excitement, scarcity, and three-day selling dates. But when the show is over, the magic is all gone. Now an old-new facility in Pasay City, finished just in time for the 2026 ASEAN Summit, might just change all that.

Originally opened in 1983 as the PhilTrade Center, the new Likhang Filipino Exhibition Halls displays some of the best that Philippine artisans can offer in a variety of sectors — home and lifestyle, fashion and accessories, traditional arts and crafts, food and beverages, and wellness.

The exhibition halls opened on Jan. 15 with much fanfare, attended by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., his wife, first lady Marie Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos, and his mother, former first lady Imelda R. Marcos, amid a crowd of diplomats and other dignitaries. The senior Mrs. Marcos, now in a wheelchair, spearheaded the first PhilTrade Center in 1979, also meant to exhibit the same categories of artisanal goods during her husband Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr.’s dictatorship, which ended in 1986 with the EDSA Revolution.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Assistant Secretary Al Modesto Valenciano recalled in a press conference prior to the opening that after the Marcos Sr. era, the PhilTrade Center had been used by antique shops, and most recently — prior to the younger Mr. Marcos’ Executive Order No. 75 — had been occupied by restaurants catering to Philippine offshore gambling operators (POGOs).

Executive Order No. 75, “Strengthening the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions,” says, “For this purpose, within six months from the effectivity of this Order, the CITEM, in coordination with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and such other relevant agencies, shall come up with a roadmap that will detail the strategic plans and programs to further strengthen the mandates of CITEM, including among others, the establishment of an exhibition facility and/or permanent showrooms and outlets designed to host trade shows, exhibitions, conferences, and other similar events, subject to existing laws, rules and regulations.” The new facility is part of the fulfillment of this order.

“Three days might not be enough for both the buyers and the exhibitors,” said CITEM Executive Director Leah Pulido Ocampo about the trade shows they currently conduct and their limited scope.

According to her, all of the exhibitors at the refurbished area (numbering about 200, spread out over several galleries with different categories), are from CITEM shows like FAME and IFEX. “It’s an extension of the three-day events. So now, we have a 365-a-year, seven days a week, 10 hours a day exhibition center,” she said.

“The reason why the First Lady Liza Marcos was very urgent in giving us a short period of time [to set up the center]… because this is basically one of the major destinations of the ASEAN delegates for the ASEAN summit,” she said. Mr. Valenciano said that the project began in July 2025 and was finished in December (in contrast, the senior Mrs. Marcos finished the site in the 1970s in 12 days, according to a press release).

Brands represented in the facility include: Calfurn, Contemporaneo, Filipino Creazione, Finali Furniture, JB Woodcraft, and Prizmic & Brill for furniture; Albertina Import and Export, Inc., Allanae Printshop & Paper Products Corp. (APPP.Co), Creativly Studio for gifts and holiday decor; and Carl Jan Cruz, Arnel Papa, Bitagcol, and Jor-el Espina for fashion.

The CITEM trade shows sometimes feature limited supplies due to the nature of their usually artisanal make, but since a year-round supply of goods is needed for the exhibition halls, Ms. Pulido Ocampo noted that “Supply is actually relative as far as CITEM is concerned. What we’re trying to do is to teach our exhibitors to look for their specific niche. You do not entertain buyers if you know that you cannot supply.”

The goods are also available to buyers on a retail basis.

Meanwhile, the Design Center of the Philippines, along with its library and product development facilities, will be moving to the exhibition halls. “[The] Design Center will be moving our offices here; our full operations would come [in] March,” said Rhea Matute, executive director of the Design Center. “The idea is really it’s a one-stop complex for the creative industries.”

Mr. Marcos said in a speech: “This space was conceived and inaugurated in 1979 — Mommy, talaga you are always ahead of your time — under your stewardship, the First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos. It was founded on a simple belief: that Filipino design and craftsmanship deserved a place on the world stage. So today, we proudly carry that vision of yours, Mom, we carry it forward to the year 2026.

“There is nothing but immense pride that comes from recognizing our own, from seeing materials shaped by Filipino hands, ideas rooted in Filipino culture, and designs that feel both familiar and exceptional,” he said.

The Likhang Filipino Exhibition Halls is located at the International Trade Center Complex (formerly PhilTrade), Roxas Blvd., Pasay City. It will be open for free to the public starting on Jan. 20. Likhang Filipino’s hours are from Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. For details, visit its official website https://likhangfilipino.com.ph. For questions, e-mail info@citem.com.ph.

Source: Business World