Cagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (Facebook)

Cagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez is seeking an additional budget of P10 billion for the rural electrification program of the National Electrification Administration (NEA) for 2025.

In a statement on Thursday, Oct. 10, Rodriguez lamented that the NEA wass allocated only P2.6 billion in the proposed national budget next year. This is a mere 11 percent of the agency’s proposed funding of P23.7 billion.

“Let us give it even just half of what it is seeking,” he stressed.

The veteran lawmaker pointed out that if rural electrification is not appropriately funded, many communities in the Philippines “will remain in total darkness".

“Our island, Mindanao, has the highest rate of non-sitio electrification in the country,” he noted.

If there is no electricity, Rodriguez said communities would not be able to realize economic progress.

“Like roads, electricity is an important factor in developing the countrywide, especially remote barangays,” he added.

The Cagayan de Oro solon recalled that during President Marcos’ 2023 State of the Nation Address (SONA), the Chief Executive vowed to energize the whole country by the end of his term.

However, during a recent budget hearing, NEA officials warned lawmakers that the agency would not be able to meet the President’s target due to the measly funding it has been getting from Congress.

As a result, officials said the timeline for achieving 100 percent total electrification is no longer attainable by 2028. Instead, it has been delayed by two to three years.

“Let us give this program more funds so that the vision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of 100-percent electrification by the end of his six-year term in 2028 could be realized,” Rodriguez said.

“Congress should help him attain that target,” he continued.

Rodriguez is urging the Senate to augment the NEA budget for 2025, as the upper chamber is still undergoing budget deliberations. 

“In case it fails to do so, the House of Representatives could play catch-up by proposing the adjustment during the bicameral conference committee deliberations,” he said.

The lower chamber approved the proposed P6.352-trillion budget for next year last Sept. 25.