Cisco, NEA forge strategic alliance to accelerate electrification in Phl

To improve the availability, reliability and efficiency of the Philippines’ power distribution systems, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) and Cisco, worldwide leader in enterprise networking and security, have agreed to collaborate on NEA’s Digital Dashboard Command Center (DDCC) Project. The collaboration is aimed at accelerating NEA’s vision of 100% electrification across the Philippines by 2028.

from left to right: Cisco Philippines Regional Sales Leader Robin Llamas, Cisco APJC President Dave West, Cisco Philippines Country Managing Director Zaza Soriano-Nicart, NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano C. Almeda, DOE Undersecretary Sharon Garin, PHILRECA Party List Representative Hon. Presley De Jesus

The initiative is part of Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration program in the Philippines, UGNAYAN 2030, and is targeted at enabling timely and data-driven assessments of the performance of electric cooperatives across the country’s power grid in rural areas of the Philippines. 

“With the Philippines’ growing population and industrialization, electricity will continue to be in high demand and how we allocate it becomes very important,” said Zaza Soriano-Nicart, Philippines Country Managing Director, Cisco. “Public-private partnerships play a critical role in delivering meaningful and sustained outcomes. We are harnessing Cisco technology in the Philippines to bring new opportunities to communities, drive new efficiencies for the energy sector and support the country’s sustainable energy agenda.”

Currently, only 89% of Filipino homes are electrified. To reach 100%, NEA developed an accelerated electrification plan involving various on and off-grid solutions. To facilitate the proper implementation of its plan, NEA intends to connect its Command Center dashboard and its new cloud-based platform, the NEA Business Intelligence Technology (BIT), to the supervisory control and data acquisition systems of electric cooperatives. 

“Since its creation in 1969, NEA has been at the forefront of implementing the Philippines’ Rural Electrification Program in partnership with the 121 Electric Cooperatives around the country. We are committed to not only electrify homes, but to also transform lives, empower communities, and enable progress across our nation,” NEA Administrator, Antonio Mariano C. Almeda said.

The DDCC will collect and integrate multiple performance data sources from different electric cooperatives and other internal system applications across agencies. It will map key metrics such as total energy consumption, average power interruption frequency, and duration on a single geographic information system for analysis and actionable insights. Additionally, the dashboard will enable NEA to respond to any incidents or variance in energy performance and develop plans for more reliable power distribution services. 

Moving Towards the Digital Future of Electrification 

The DDCC will be piloted with the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) in phase 1 of the project.  Phase 2, which is slated for the 2^nd Quarter of 2024, will connect 60 electric cooperatives to the dashboard. Phase 3 will commence in 2025, connecting the 60 remaining ECs, with a primary focus on island ECs.

“My heartfelt congratulations to NEA and Cisco for embarking on a groundbreaking partnership that ushers innovations for Electric Cooperatives. More than that, this partnership has the potential not only to transform the way NEA and ECs operate, but also revolutionize our capacity to deliver a reliable supply of electricity to unreached communities” Philippine Rural Electrification Cooperatives Association (PHILRECA) Party List Representative, Hon. Presley De Jesus noted.

While the command center will initially provide a high-level view of energy consumption per city and region, NEA plans to further develop the platform to provide granular insights such as the energy usage patterns of each household in real-time. 

“Now more than ever, we believe in the power of technology to drive more inclusivity and equal opportunity to populations and communities. This is why Cisco is committed to making a positive impact through our Country Digital Acceleration initiative,” President for Cisco Asia Pacific, Japan, and Greater China, Dave West added. 

Department of Energy Undersecretary, Sharon Garin noted the importance of the Cisco and NEA partnership, and how the project will further NEA’s mandate, stating, “Automation is how you bring better service to our people, and NEA is not far behind.” 

“Cisco’s mission of powering an inclusive future for all aligns with our vision, and together, we are forging a path towards a more connected, empowered, and prosperous Philippines. Let us continue to move forward hand-in-hand, towards the future of digital electrification,” Administrator Almeda concluded. 

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