Philippines Rural Electric Cooperative Program Celebrates 40 Years of Success
(International Tieline Newsletter, September 2009)

It was a bold plan from the outset: provide electricity to every populated area on the nearly 3,000 inhabited islands of the sprawling, mountainous and often jungle-swathed Philippine archipelago.

In 1969, the Philippines faced many of the same electrification issues the United States faced in the 1930s: There was ample power in the urban areas, but less than 10 percent of the rural population had electricity.  This stifled development and relegated millions of people to subsistence.

That year, with broad input from NRECA International, the government passed Republic Act 6038, establishing the national policy of universal electrification and creating the National Electrification Administration (NEA) to oversee implementation of this vision.

The ambitious initiative would eventually put the Philippines at the forefront of the developing world’s rural electrification effort, providing electricity to some 8 million rural households, farms and business enterprises and spurring the growth of some 17,000 rural factories and businesses.

Now, as the NEA celebrates its 40th anniversary, the Filipino government has declared that by year’s end, 100 percent of the country’s villages, called barangays, will have access to electricity. Nearly all the lines strung over the past four decades have been built and maintained by the country’s network of 119 electric cooperatives.

Early last month, the NEA and the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association (PHILRECA) held the International Convention on Rural Electrification in Manila to celebrate the accomplishments of the project and discuss the way forward.

“Together the NEA and electric cooperatives have walked through the toughest of times … but our partnership still remains,” NEA Administrator Edita S. Bueno told the conference. “Let us step back, reflect and capture the beautiful memories of struggles and triumph and further strengthen our resolve to ensure another 40 years of victory for the Filipino people through rural electrification.”

Michael Guidry, NRECA Board vice president, delivered the keynote address. During his remarks, he congratulated the Philippines program for “serving as a pioneer in demonstrating the effectiveness of the cooperative system of rural electrification and economic development, and a shining example to other countries in the region and the world at large.”

He also reminded Filipino cooperatives to “keep at the forefront of our thoughts the cooperative advantage … we must remember that we are owned by our customers. Let us give them reason to celebrate that fact, and the leaders who came before us reason to be proud.”

Charles "Chuck" Dawsey, chair of NRECA board's International Committee and general manager of Benton Rural Electric Association in Washington, called the event "truly an enlightening experience."

"It was an opportunity to share ideas and network with utility managers and directors from all over the world," said Dawsey, who gave a presentation on governance at the convention. "The spirit and enthusiasm of the participants made it clear that the rural electric movement is alive and well across the globe."

Also representing the NRECA at the meeting were Executive Vice President for External Affairs Martin Lowery, Senior Vice President of International Programs Vivek Talvadkar, and others. They addressed the conference on a range of subjects, including the Touchstone Energy® experience in the United States.