Total loans extended by the National Electrification Administration (NEA) to at least 18 electric cooperatives (ECs) topped P560 million in the first half of the year. Based on data released by NEA’s Accounting Management and Guarantee Department (AMGD), the power utilities serving consumers in the regional areas have availed of various debt facilities administered by the government-run electrification agency. “The NEA has been offering financial assistance to ECs through its enhanced lending program, which consists of regular, calamity and concessional loans, stand-by and short-term credit loans, single-digit system loss, renewable energy and modular generator set loans,” the agency stressed. On the recent loan availments of the power utilities, it showed that none of them had secured funding for renewable energy (RE) projects, which is also part of the program being pushed by NEA to pare the carbon footprints of the ECs. Bulk of the loan amounts at P272 million had been availed of by six  ECs for their working capital requirements – and the borrowers have been Antique Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ANTECO), Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative (CENPELCO), First Laguna Electric Cooperative, Inc. (FLECO), Lanao del Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (LANECO), Misamis Oriental II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (MORESCO II) and Zamboanga del Sur II Electric Cooperative, Inc. ZAMSURECO II). Moreover, P225.81 million had been funneled to the capital expenditure (capex) needs of at least 13 ECs – including those of FLECO, Quezon I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (QUEZELCO I) and Sorsogon I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SORECO I) in the Luzon grid. For Visayas and Mindanao grids, capex loans had been availed of by the Iloilo III Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ILECO III), Northern Negros Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NONECO), Leyte V Electric Cooperative, Inc. (LEYECO V), Zamboanga del Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ZANECO), Misamis Oriental I Rural Electric Service Cooperative, Inc. (MORESCO I), Bukidnon Second Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BUSECO), Siasi Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SIASELCO), Basilan Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BASELCO), Siargao Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SIARELCO) and Surigao del Sur I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SURSECO I). Modular generator set (genset) procurement had also been covered by the loans granted by NEA in this year’s first semester – and for this purpose, P12.85 million had been extended to Misamis Oriental I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (MORESCO I) . Additionally, the Lanao del Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (LANECO) had secured P50 million as a short-term credit facility loan, according to the state-run electrification agency. In recent years, calamity loans had also been topping the list due to the extreme weather conditions tormenting the country, that in turn, results in damage to power infrastructure facilities owned and managed by the electric cooperatives.