A total of P1.295 billion has been earmarked in the proposed 2026 national budget to bring electricity to public schools nationwide, as the government intensifies efforts to close infrastructure gaps in education, Senator Win Gatchalian said.
Gatchalian said the allocation is part of the National Electrification Administration’s (NEA) National Rural Electrification Program, which has a broader budget of P9.1 billion. The program supports the electrification and upgrading of facilities in public schools, particularly those without reliable access to power.
Under a special provision in the NEA budget, the funds will be used exclusively for unenergized or off-grid schools. It will also cover the modernization of electrical systems in on-grid schools, including the installation of transformers, upgrades to existing power systems, and the deployment of solar energy solutions.
The NEA has also been directed to prioritize solar power in energizing both off-grid and on-grid public schools, in line with efforts to promote sustainable and cost-efficient energy sources in the education sector.
“Titiyakin din nating gagamit tayo ng epektibong teknolohiya hanggang magkaroon ng ilaw ang bawat paaralan sa bansa,” Gatchalian said, stressing that no school should be left without electricity.
The senator, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, said the initiative supports long-standing efforts to improve learning conditions in underserved communities, where lack of electricity remains a barrier to quality education.
According to the National Education Plan submitted by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), the government aims to electrify 3,358 unenergized schools by 2028. The roadmap identifies access to electricity as a critical step in modernizing the country’s basic education system.
The planned investments are part of a broader push to improve school infrastructure nationwide, with solar energy expected to play a growing role in powering classrooms in both remote and urban areas.