CALAMBA CITY (PIA) – Barangays in CALABARZON hosting energy sources and power-generating facilities will receive additional benefits starting January 2026.
Under Department Circular No. 2025-10-0023 signed by Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, barangays that host power plants and other power-generating facilities will enjoy increased financial benefits from Php0.01 to Php 0.03 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity generated and sold.
In a press release, Garin noted the directive as a ‘major turning point for energy-hosting communities’.
“We are shifting our approach to focus on empowering people and giving them a greater stake in our country’s energy growth. By reinvesting the benefits of power generation back into local areas, we are building shared prosperity and a stronger foundation for a sustainable future.”
Under the ER 1-94 program, the funds allocated to host communities will increase to 2.5 centavos per kWh. The DOE said barangays can use the additional funds to support projects tailored to their locality’s needs, such as livelihood development, environmental protection, healthcare, and educational initiatives.
The strengthened ER 1-94 framework promotes community-driven planning by empowering host local government units (LGUs) and indigenous cultural communities or indigenous peoples (ICCs/IPs) to identify and approve priority projects through their respective local council resolutions.
The CALABARZON region hosts a long list of power plants that provide provinces with a wide variety of sources, including coal, solar, and agro-solar power, catering to residential communities, industrial and commercial spaces alike.
Most recently, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the ceremonial switch-on of Citicore Solar Batangas 1 Power Plant in Tuy, Batangas, the country’s first agro-solar power plant. (PB-PIA4A/DOE)