This Christmas season, light is no longer a luxury for thousands of once-dark, conflict-affected communities, as the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said around 3.1 million Filipinos in 759 insurgency-cleared barangays are now enjoying brighter nights and safer days following the completion of rural electrification projects under the Support to Barangay Development Program.
From 2022 to 2025, the DILG completed 463 rural electrification projects, bringing power to far-flung communities through on-grid connections and off-grid solar solutions.
Streets that were once unlit now have lighting, homes that relied on lamps now have electricity, and barangays that used to shut down at sundown are now open to opportunity.
In Barangay Banwague in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, residents can now run small businesses, sell frozen goods, and stay connected through Wi-Fi services.
For communities nearly 30 kilometers from the city proper, access to power has translated into income opportunities and improved quality of life.
In Barangay Bikil, Tubungan, Iloilo, solar streetlights now guide residents who leave for work before dawn and return home at night, improving road safety and community security.
Barangay leaders said electrification has brought not only light but also livelihood, safety, and hope, especially during the Christmas season.
The DILG said more than 300 additional SBDP rural electrification projects are currently in various stages of implementation. Beyond power, the program also funds schools, water systems, health stations, farm-to-market roads, housing, and agricultural facilities in geographically isolated and conflict-affected areas.
The SBDP is a flagship program of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict and supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s whole-of-nation approach to peace and inclusive development.
