THE National Electrification Administration (NEA) and the Department of Education (DepEd) have entered into a partnership to electrify schools in off-grid areas through solar power.
NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda on Wednesday inked a memorandum of agreement with Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara, in the presence of Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla and University of the Philippines President Angelo A. Jimenez.
Under the agreement, the NEA, through its partner electric cooperatives, will provide technical assistance in setting up the solar PV panels, monitoring its system, and conducting further evaluations to ensure the project’s completion.
The agency said it will also mandate the electric cooperatives to refrain from imposing any charges, fees or cost in relation to the maintenance and sustainability of the project.
DepEd, for its part, will identify and prioritize schools needing electrification, facilitate the necessary permits from concerned local government units, and provide counterpart logistical and financial support to execute the project.
The program is targeted to be rolled out within the first quarter of the year, with completion set within the next two years.
Citing a report from the Second Congressional Commission on Education, the energy chief said around 1,500 schools in the country still have no electricity. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera
