State engineers from the National Electrification Administration (NEA) have taken all the necessary measures to assist and prepare the electric cooperatives (ECs) and their power distribution lines in time for the 2025 National and Local Elections on May 12. 

NEA Engineering Department Manager Engr. Federico Villar, Jr. reported to the Department of Energy (DOE) earlier this week that the rural electrification sector has conducted inspection and preventive maintenance activities of all substations across the service areas of ECs nationwide.

Among the series of actions taken ahead of the midterm polls include line clearing operations, replacement and repair of critical power transmission and distribution system components, as well as inspection of electric facilities connected to the voting and canvassing centers.

Villar, the NEA Task Force Election (TFE) overall chairperson, said these efforts were in line with the directives of DOE and its Task Force on Energy Resilience to ensure stable and reliable power supply throughout the election period.

He noted that contingency measures are also in place in the event the ECs encounter challenges such as grid inefficiency, transmission breakdown, or disasters. In those scenarios, restoration of power supply in polling stations and other election facilities shall be prioritized.

“As a way forward, we are regularly conducting coordination meetings with our partner ECs across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,” Villar said, noting that round the clock power situation monitoring by the NEA-TFE teams is already in effect since Monday, 05 May 2025.

“This monitoring shall continue until the termination or conclusion of the canvassing or votes and the proclamation of the winning candidates, or as deemed necessary by the DOE,” he added, citing a NEA memorandum released last month. ###