Energy access is a major game-changer in empowering a country – but the depressing fact remains that more than a billion people globally still don’t have access to electricity services – a basic need that marginal segments of populations – or those in the ‘laylayan’ are morally being denied of.

The Philippines is in no case different – and as estimated by government, this archipelagic country still has roughly 2.0 million households not seeing the ‘light of day' when it comes to getting electricity service and these are typically located in marginal areas considered ‘uneconomically viable.’

Typically these are the barangays/villages or communities that are in a ‘no-win situation’ to be physically wired and get connected to the main power grid – classic examples are far-flung areas and communities inhabited by indigenous peoples.

Such narrative is emblematic of the sad and regretful lives of the Higaonon people in the isolated community of Las Nieves, Agusan Del Norte in Mindanao - ‘black sky events’ had been the typical track for residents in the area as there were no street lights and even bulbs to illuminate the core of their community.

Providentially though, they finally caught the attention of the government and that enabled them to finally get their long-time wish of having electricity services starting this month.

On Monday (February 12), NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda traveled to the hillside point of Sitio Salaming of Barangay Bokbokon to lead the switch-on of the household energization project benefiting the tribal community – a government-underpinned initiative under the Sitio Electrification Program.

By far, that event transformed the Higaonon tribal community into a celebratory state of pride and happiness when access to energy started bringing revolutionary chronicles into their way of life – their children can finally study without groping in darkness; while their livelihood and economic opportunities are already anticipated to gain traction.

Almeda told the community-beneficiaries that he has been prioritizing “to brighten up the unserved areas in Mindanao,” while also citing the collaborative efforts extended by the local government officials of Las Nieves who brought to his attention the predicament of the Higaonons.

The NEA chief admitted though that the country’s electrification race is still far from reaching the finish line – there are major hurdles along the way, including funding and logistics, but he can only assure for now that the Marcos administration is determined to advance the goal of 100% electrification on or before 2028.

“We still have a long way to go, especially when it comes to a mountainous location like this,” he said, while qualifying that “providing reliable electricity services is an essential first step towards generating economic activity and developing human resources in a local community.”

The government is fully aware that when the economics aren’t compelling, the ‘business-as-usual scenario’ of providing electricity scares off traditional energy providers – including the big companies.

Hence, amid physical and economic barriers of traversing dirt roads or scaling up mountain-ensconced areas, NEA and institutional partners indicated that they are taking the challenge of providing that golden opportunity of extending electricity service to those far-flung communities.

“I believe that progress cannot happen without electricity, especially for the children. How can they study properly without electricity? So, rest assured, we in the national government is paying attention to this,” Almeda asserted.

For now, the people of Sitio Salaming already have ‘shining light’ in their homes and in the larger stretch of their communities, and in the long run, this will be the trump card in expanding their economic opportunities as well as in improving their quality of life.