GMA administration brings power to 1,513 barangays

Electricity has been provided to a total of 1,513 powerless barangays nationwide under the Arroyo Administration within a one-year-period as of July this year alone.

This exceeds the 1,500 barangays targeted by President Arroyo for electrification in her 2001 State-of-the-Nation Address.

The beneficiaries of the mass electrification by region are: (Region 8) 269 barangays in the provinces of Eastern, Western and Northern Samar, Leyte and Southern Leyte and Biliran; (Region 4) 181 Barangays in the provinces of Quezon, Romblon, Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Palawan and Batangas; (Region 6) 176 barangays in the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo and Negros Occidental; (Region 7) 153 barangays in the provinces of Bohol, Cebu, Siquijor and Negros Oriental; (Region 5) 130 barangays in the provinces of Albay, Camarines Norte and Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate and Sorsogon and (Region 2) 119 barangays in the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino.

Electricity was also provided to 76 barangays in the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao; 71 barangays in Zamboanga City and the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay in Region 9; 71 barangays in the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Bukidnon and Lanao del Norte in Region 10; 67 barangays in the provinces of North and South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Saranggani in Region 12; 56 barangays in the provinces of Davao del Norte and Sur and Davao Oriental and in the Compostela Valley and 52 barangays in the provinces of Agusan del Norte and Sur and Surigao del Norte and Sur in the Caraga region.

The implementing agencies for the barangay electrification program are the Department of Energy, National Electrification Administration, National Power Corp. and Philippine National Oil Company — Energy Development Corp.