Title: A Person Without Energy is a Person Without Opportunities

Author: John Joshua Sumampong, Carlos Leo Panelo

Date Published: April 5, 2021

Key Info: The ongoing lack of electricity in Mindanao's rural areas, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, significantly limits opportunities for education, employment, and development, with energy access still far below the national average despite a temporary surplus in power supply.

Title: Off-Grid households in Mindanao gain access to renewable energy

Author: Yamog Renewable Energy Development Group Inc.

Date Published: February 21, 2023

Key Info: The EU-funded "Improving the Lives of People in Off-grid Communities in Mindanao through the Provision of Sustainable Energy" project by Yamog Renewable Energy Development Group, Inc. a Davao-based NGO, has brought much-needed electricity to 4,331 rural households in Mindanao, highlighting the critical need for renewable energy solutions in areas previously lacking access to power.

Title: Clean energy to light up Mindanao’s off-grid areas

Author: Carmelito Q. Francisco, Julie S. Alipa (Inquirer News)

Date Published: May 28, 2021

Key Info: The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) is implementing two renewable energy projects to improve electricity access in Mindanao's poorest communities. One project, Renewable Energy for Tawi-Tawi Seaweeds (Rets), combines solar, photovoltaic, and diesel power to generate 1.65 megawatts of energy for off-grid seaweed-producing communities in Sitangkai and Sibutu.

Title: Publication: Bringing Reliable Electricity to Rural Areas of the Philippines

Author: Open Knowledge Repository (World Bank Group)

Date Published: November, 2009

Key Info: Electric Cooperatives (ECs) in the Philippines face undercapitalization and poor performance, leading to unstable electricity supply in rural areas; an IFC initiative aims to address this by improving capital expenditure planning, potentially unlocking $274 million in investments and significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the country.

Title: BBM VLOG #77: Electrification in the Philippines | Bongbong Marcos

Author: Bongbong Marcos

Date Published: August 31, 2019

Key Info: The Phillippines are behind 85% in the electrification of all barangays in the country. Meanwhile, neighboring nations have already reached 100%; rather than relying on power plants and sectors that will take years to implement, we should start investing in faster and more sustainable ways to deliver electricity to rural areas in the country.

Title: Project Liwanag PH - Solar PV Electrification Project

Author: Project Liwanag PH

Date Published: October 28, 2017

Key Information:

Many Indigenous people in the Philippines were struggling without a light source. Because of this, children could not read or do their homework at nighttime. However, due to Project Liwanag, over 2000 Indigenous people now have access to renewable energy and will continue to grow with the organization's help.

Title: Solar energy in the Philippines: a T’boli-Manobo indigenous community shows people power in action.

Author: Friends of the Earth International

Date Published: August 11, 2022

Key Information: Legal Rights and Natural Resource Center (LRC/Friends of the Earth Phillippines) supported the solar micro-grid project that has provided essential light in over 46 houses to the people of Datal Bonglangon, which is a part of the T'boli-Manobo Indigenous community. Before the project, the community had to rely on battery-powered flashlights and oil lamps, which were high-priced and hard to obtain.

Title: Infographic: Power on and off in Mindanao

Author: Siegfrid Alegado

Date Published: April 17, 2013

Key Information: An infographic made by GMA News Online about power crisis (brownouts) experienced here in large parts of Mindanao, Mindanao's Power Generation Mix, Shortfall of power in Mindanao, DOE's Near-Term Initiatives to ease power outage, Proposed Long-Term Solutions, and what the residents can do to ease a power crisis.

Title: DOE proposes purchase of generators to address Mindanao power crisis

Author: ANC 24/7

Date Published: Mar 26, 2013

Key Info: "Ito ay pagpapakita ng matinding galit ng mamamayan sa Gensan at saka neighboring provinces doon sa ipinapatupad na rotational brownouts," said a local as Mindanao residents protested the issue of daily blackouts. Due to an insufficient supply of electricity to the demand, the Department of Energy in the Philippines proposed to purchase $500k-$1M modular generators set with 1-2MW capacity in Mindanao. However, this comes with increased electricity rates, which will be higher and more expensive from Php6-8/kwh to, estimatingly, Php8-10/kwh, causing consumers to pay more.

Title: Singapore to ration electricity as a 'last resort' during emergencies

Author: CNA

Date Published: Sep 9, 2024

Key Info: In future disruption scenarios wherein power is demanded, the Energy Market Authority plans to ration electricity supply during an emergency, only necessarily as a last resort. Dr. Tan See Leng states, "Singapore must prepare for worst-case scenarios." This is a measure to be conducted by EMA in order to ensure Singapore's security and stability. However, there are several concerns raised about the cost of this initiative due to the potential increase in electricity rates because this may likely lead to higher energy prices.

Title: No More Rising Electricity Rates, It’s Time for Renewable Energy!

Author: Philippine Legislators' Committee on Population and Development

Date Published: February 13, 2023

Key Info: The PLCPD advocates for the complete transition to renewable energy sources in the country. In their advocacy, they point out the weak points of the electricity crisis as one of the top concerns within the Philippines; such as worsening inflation, dependent transportation due to costly gasoline and diesel, high and expensive price hikes (which usually in most cases, cannot be afforded by poor households with minimum wage), as well as the population relying on fossil fuels. Their organization urgently calls on the government and legislators to immediately respond to the alarming issue within the Philippines through a greener, cleaner, cost-efficient, and more sustainable alternative resources and systems.

Title: Gov't urged to speed up electrification efforts in rural areas

Author: Gualberto Laput

Date Published: February 3, 2019

Key Information: Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who heads the Senate Committee on Energy, calls for more efforts to electrify rural areas, noting that many households in different provinces around the country are still without electric power. He also said that NGCP plans to link the Mindanao grid to the Visayas grid through a submarine cable to give flexibility to the power supply in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao grids.

Title: Bridging the power gap in PHL's unserved and underserved markets

Date Published: June 21, 2024

Key Information: While most Luzon and Visayas have high electrification rates of more than 90%, four out of six Mindanao regions are still lagging, with more than 10% of their households still living off-grid. The most alarming among these regions is BARMM, where fewer than 45% of their households have access to power. Data from the National Electrification Administration (NEA) shows that only 282,330 households out of 703,499 potential connections in Mindanao have been electrified, highlighting the substantial gap in achieving universal access to electricity on the island.

Title: Walay Suga: A Short ADDUvocacy Documentary - SDG No. 7

Author: Abegail Del Rosario

Date Published: May 21, 2022

Key Info: The story highlights how living without dependable electricity has wider ramifications that impact daily life and education. Residents discuss their personal experiences, pointing out that these disruptions frequently happen at crucial moments, including during tests or significant study sessions.

Title: The Philippines Electricity Problem

Author: Behind Philippines

Date Published: October 5, 2022

Key Info: The lecture video discusses the Philippines' biggest issue, which concentrates on the electrical problem. The Philippines is experiencing rotating power outages as a result of the ongoing electricity problem. The video also discusses the elements that influence and cause severe electrical problems.

Title: Finding Solutions to the Mindanao Electric Power Problem

Author: Adoracion M. Navarro

Date Published: August, 2012

Key Info: The paper looks at Mindanao's electric power crisis, which peaked in 2012 and caused daily brownouts that adversely impacted people's quality of life and negatively impacted local economies. The study lists a number of important variables that have contributed to the issue, with a particular emphasis on the inadequate capacity for electricity generation brought about by outdated infrastructure and a dearth of new investments. It also highlights the area's strong reliance on hydropower, which left it susceptible to variations in the water supply brought on by droughts.