Philippines Targets Over 100K Unenergized Homes with Microgrid Auction

MANILA, Philippines — Some 101,468 households in far-flung areas could finally gain access to reliable electricity through the Department of Energy (DOE)’s upcoming microgrid auction. The DOE has initially identified 369 unserved and underserved areas across 23 provinces that could be included in the competitive bidding. Although the auction details have yet to be disclosed, the initial list gives prospective microgrid service providers (MGSPs) a basis for starting preliminary technical assessments and investment planning. "For families in remote and last-mile communities, electricity means more than keeping the lights on. It supports education, livelihoods, health services, communications and economic opportunity," said Energy Secretary Sharon Garin. "Through microgrid development, we want to bring reliable and affordable electricity closer to communities that remain unserved while giving capable investors a clear pathway to help us deliver it," she added. The initial list covers unenergized homes in Antique, Basilan, Bohol, Cagayan, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Cebu, Davao Occidental, Dinagat Islands, Eastern Samar, Lanao del Sur, Marinduque and Masbate. It also includes areas in Negros Occidental, Northern Samar, Palawan, Quezon, Southern Leyte, Sulu, Surigao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi, Samar and Zamboanga del Sur. The identified areas remain subject to further validation, updating and final determination by the DOE. Additional areas may be included. Areas not included in a particular auction round, meanwhile, may still be considered for electrification through unsolicited proposals. Republic Act 11646 or the Microgrid Systems Act mandates the conduct of a competitive selection process before an MGSP can deliver electricity to unserved and underserved areas. Unserved areas are those that have no access to electricity, distribution system lines, home power systems or any microgrid system, while underserved areas refer to currently served areas where power supply is less than 24 hours daily. Latest DOE data showed that the country’s electrification rate stood at 94.93 percent, with around 1.53 million households still unenergized as of end-2025. Given limited budget allocations, Energy Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara earlier said total household electrification could only be achieved by 2043.