All set for the National Electrification Awareness Month celebration

The National Electrification Administration (NEA) is gearing up for the month-long celebration of the 9th National Electrification Awareness Month (NEAM), which coincides with the state-run agency's 49th Founding Anniversary.

NEAM, which is celebrated annually every month of August in accordance with Proclamation Order No. 1743, recognizes the significance of the electrification program in nation building. The theme chosen for 2018 is "Electricity Access for All: A Platform in Nation Building."

NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong said this year's celebration will highlight the invaluable contributions of the electrification sector towards nation building. 

"The NEA and the ECs are cognizant of their crucial roles in nation building, thus we are doubling down on our commitment to help improve the lives of Filipinos, particularly in the countryside, through rural electrification," Masongsong said. 

"While we have achieved significantly in bringing power to remote and far-flung communities, the task ahead of us remains herculean," the NEA chief added. 

Activities lined up for this year's NEAM celebration and 49th Founding Anniversary include a two-day NEA-EC Consultative Conference from August 6 to 7 with House Committee on Energy Chairman Lord Allan Jay Velasco and Department of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi as guests of honor.

Also on August 7, key officials of 121 electric cooperatives (ECs) will visit the Senate of the Philippines to seek support on proposed legislations that will have significant impact on the EC sector and the member-consumer-owners (MCOs).

At the same time, the NEA will be holding an activity designed to promote safety and wellness among the agency employees from August 23 to 24. 

The month-long event will be capped by a national clearing day on August 31 to be held simultaneously throughout the country by 121 ECs to highlight the importance of MCO involvement in line maintenance as the most effective way of addressing system losses, precluding distribution outages and improving services. 

The NEA is a government-owned and -controlled corporation mandated to carry out the total electrification of the country on an area coverage basis.

Since 1969, the Rural Electrification Program has energized 78 provinces, 90 cities, 1,385 municipalities, 36,055 barangays and 123,134 sitios benefiting 12.408 million households as of May 31, 2018.

The Rural Electrification Program is part of the national government's efforts to reach out to the Filipinos, especially the poorest of the poor living in the remote and far-flung communities across the country.

Press release from NEA