THE NATIONAL Electrification Administration (NEA) told electric cooperatives (ECs) to livestream their respective line clearing and tree planting activities on August 11 as the agency observes national electrification awareness month.
“This year’s activities will be conducted differently in view of the current pandemic and the restrictions it brings. The ECs are thus enjoined to conduct both (line clearing and tree planting) simultaneously via Facebook live for wider viewership,” NEA Administrator Edgardo R. Masongsong said in a memorandum dated July 15.
ECs must strictly comply with all standard health protocols during the tree planting programs, and ensure maximum safety during line clearing operations, he added.
Mr. Masongsong also said that ECs are required to submit post-activity documentation of both initiatives, including photos and videos, specifics on the line clearing activities and type and number of seedlings planted.
The tree planting and line clearing are part of the several programs which NEA has lined up to highlight milestones in the country’s rural electrification program.
Next month, the NEA is celebrating its 52nd anniversary as well as the 12th observance of the National Electrification Awareness month.
In May, NEA announced that it has brought electricity to 362 rural villages under its Sitio Electrification Program in the four months to April, majority of which are in Mindanao.
As of end of February, the total number of rural villages that were energized reached 125,581 or 84.46% of areas within the coverage of 121 electric cooperatives. — Angelica Y. Yang