The National Electrification Administration (NEA) welcomed the support of the Spanish Embassy in the Philippines, which expressed serious interest in developing an electrical grid for Maguindanao del Sur to improve its power distribution system and spur economic growth in the province.

This transpired following a closed-door meeting between officials of the NEA led by Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda and the visiting Spanish Ambassador Miguel Utray Delgado with Vice Governor Nathaniel Midtimbang and other local government executives last 08 November 2023.

The meeting was held at the provincial capitol in Buluan, Maguindanao del Sur and included officials from the Maguindanao Electric Cooperative, Inc. (MAGELCO), Sultan Kudarat Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SUKELCO), Freya Business Consultancy Corp., and Spanish energy company Elecnor.

MAGELCO is among the seven electric cooperatives (ECs) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) that are facing serious challenges in terms of reaching its rural electrification targets.

As of September 2023, it has managed to connect only 56,823 households out of 173,023 potential connections, based on status of energization records from the NEA Database Management and Program Control Division.

According to NEA Management Assistant for MAGELCO Operations Engr. Floyd Erik Bautista, this collaboration with the Embassy of Spain presents a good opportunity to resolve power supply issues and technical deficiencies in the distribution system of the co-op.

“They (Spanish Embassy) are about to conduct a feasibility study to begin (the project). And we, in MAGELCO, are providing the requirements that they need to achieve good results from that feasibility study,” Bautista told regional network Bandera News TV-Cotabato in Filipino in a recent interview.

Bautista noted that NEA, under the leadership of the current Administrator, is pursuing this initiative to help MAGELCO improve its power distribution operations, thus enabling it to be more competitive in the market like other successful ECs in Mindanao.

In a separate interview with the same network, Utray said that they are also exploring the possibility of installing solar power plants to generate additional supply of renewable energy for the province. At least two Spanish energy companies are involved in the discussions—Elecnor and Acciona.

“We have a very good cooperation with electrical authorities in the Philippines—with the Department of Energy, with NEA, and here with MAGELCO—and what we want to do is a master plan for the distribution of electricity in Maguindanao del Sur,” the Spanish diplomat said.

This is in line with the thrust of the Spanish government to actively support ongoing efforts in developing nations towards clean energy transition amid the challenges of global warming and in the interest of sustainable development.

“The world now is facing the climate change consequences. All of us have a responsibility to involve other renewable energies, to make an energy transition. But we also have to make a digital transition and we are cooperating with the Philippines to prosper in that direction,” Utray noted. ###