NEA Administrator Almeda Leads Energization of Remote Sitios in Ansagan, Tuba
Energized. BENECO GM Mel Licoben lights up remote sitios of Ansagan, Tuba, Benguet on 30 October 2025 with NEA Administrator Antonio Almeda and Tuba Mayor Clarita Sal-ongan.
By: Laarni S. Ilagan, for BENECO
BENECO GM Mel Licoben, NEA Administrator Antonio Almeda, and Tuba Mayor Clarita Sal-ongan enjoy light moments at the lighting ceremonies.
Tuba, Benguet—The towering mountains and deep ravines reached by narrow rough mountain roads of Tuba, Benguet, stood as silent witnesses when 44 families from sitios Lower and Upper Sarisa in Barangay Ansagan became part of the growing list of energized communities, thanks to the National Electrification Administration (NEA) and the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO).
BENECO GM Mel Licoben expresses thanks to NEA Administrator Antonio Almeda for the partnership in the energization.
The energization ceremony, led by NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano “Nani” Almeda, was both a celebration and a reaffirmation of the government’s commitment to reach even the farthest Filipino households with reliable power.
“I didn’t know this would be the energization of Barangay Ansagan,” Almeda said, visibly elated as he addressed residents gathered at the event. “I’m very happy we were able to traverse from Baguio down to Tuba. The more I saw the community, the more I felt the need for electricity.”
Almeda pledged to Tuba mayor Clarita Sal-ongan to energise the remaining sitios in Ansagan without electricity by 2026.
With the 85% sitio energization status of BENECO, 15% have yet to be energized.
Aside from his staunch promise to help BENECO achieve total energization of sitios by 2028 by the end of the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Almeda also pledged to bring to DPWH secretary Vince Dizon the sad state of the roads to Ansagan.
Power for Progress
For Administrator Almeda, the visit was not merely ceremonial—it was personal. Speaking before residents and local officials led by Mayor Clarita and Vice Mayor Maria, Almeda emphasized that rural electrification remains the cornerstone of inclusive national development.
“This is our only way to make people feel that the national government cares for them,” he said. “Electricity will change lives—especially for students and farmers whose livelihoods depend on it. We at NEA are serious about making that happen.”
BENECO’s General Manager Melchor Licoben echoed Almeda’s sentiment, highlighting that the energization of Ansagan forms part of the nationwide “Sitio Electrification Program,” which received ₱100 million in funding through NEA—₱25 million of which was allocated for Ansagan alone.
“This project is very significant,” Licoben said. “We wanted the Administrator to see for himself the situation of our energization efforts in Benguet. When he saw the need, he promised to help us complete the remaining areas without electricity.”
Licoben added that NEA’s visit signals stronger national support for Benguet’s electrification, noting that “this is the first time in memory that a NEA Administrator personally attended a sitio electrification program energization for the past 30 years.”
Lives Transformed by Light
For Sitio Sarisa residents, the arrival of electricity is more than just a technical achievement—it is a transformation of daily life.
Bernie Cuison, 56, has lived and farmed in Lower Sarisa since 1999 with his wife Sally and their nine children. “When I got married here in 1990, there was no electricity,” he recalled. “It was only in November 2023 that we finally got power in some parts of Ansagan. Electricity is a big thing for us now—before, people still worked in the dark at night. Now, we can use electricity for farming and for our homes.”
Another beneficiary, 42-year-old mother of three Janet Dayao, expressed gratitude for the “Libre Nga Pa-ilaw” initiative that brought power to their area.
“Thank you very much to NEA Administrator Almeda because we now have light here in Sitio Sarisa,” Dayao said in Ilocano. “This means a lot, especially for our children who need electricity for school and for using the internet.”
The Warriors of Light
PHILRECA Executive Director and General Manager Janeene Depay-Colingan also paid tribute to the cooperative’s “warriors of light”—the line workers who brave rivers, steep slopes, and harsh weather to bring power to the remotest sitios.
“It is very difficult to provide services in remote areas,” Colingan acknowledged. “They have to cross rivers by foot. But they do it because they know how important electricity is to our people. To our linemen and engineers—you are the reason we are here.”
A Brighter Future Ahead
Before leaving Ansagan, Almeda assured residents and local leaders that NEA will continue to prioritize rural electrification across Benguet. He pledged to push for the completion of the remaining unenergized sitios and hinted at additional funding support in 2026.
“Electricity first,” he said with conviction. “We will light up every home we can reach.”
For Sitio Sarisa’s families, those words carry the promise of a brighter, more connected future—one where their children can study under a steady light, where farmers can power their tools, and where hope, quite literally, power on through the night.
