The country’s second largest and most ambitious rural electrification project—possible only through a cooperative’s genuine commitment to public service, and unthinkable for a private utility that values profit over people—is finally bringing light to more than 2,100 households in northern Iloilo.
Iloilo Electric Cooperative (ILECO III) launched its ₱150-million Concepcion–Tago–Tambaliza–Naborot Interconnection Line Extension Project, ending decades of darkness for isolated island communities.
The project will connect Tambaliza, Macatunao, and Talotu-an in Concepcion, and Brgy. Naborot in San Dionisio to the mainland power grid.
Its funding was made possible through the initiative of former Fifth District Congressman Raul Tupas, whose efforts secured the resources for the interconnection.
It is being completed under the leadership of newly elected Representative Binky April Tupas, ensuring that the dream of island electrification is finally realized for thousands of families.
For residents long dependent on kerosene lamps and expensive generators, the electrification is nothing short of transformative.
“This is more than just power lines—it’s about opening doors to opportunities, education, and livelihoods that these islanders have been denied for too long,” said ILECO III general manager Atty. James G. Balsomo II.
The interconnection fulfills one of the cooperative’s most cherished goals, arriving at a time when ILECO III is also earning national recognition for its performance and unwavering commitment to rural electrification.
At the 2025 NEA–PHILRECA Joint Awarding Ceremony, ILECO III captured 10 major awards, including the Top Performing Electric Cooperative Award and the Outstanding Electric Cooperative Award from the National Electrification Administration (NEA).
The cooperative was likewise recognized for best collection efficiency, full liquidation of subsidy funds, free household energization under the Sinag Award, and maintaining single-digit feeder losses.
From PHILRECA, the cooperative received citations as a Prompt Payor, Gold Stellar Awardee, Bright Beginning Awardee, and for excellence in occupational safety and health.
Balsomo attributed these achievements to the “unwavering dedication and hard work” of ILECO III’s Board of Directors, management, and employees.
“We share these victories with our Member-Consumer-Owners (MCOs)—their trust and support are the driving force behind our commitment to a brighter, more electrified future,” he said.
Yet for the islanders, the true triumph is not in plaques and trophies but in the glow of electricity soon to reach their homes. Power means business opportunities, digital access, better schooling, safer streets, and a dramatically improved quality of life.
As Iloilo advances its rural electrification push, the interconnection project stands as proof that development is not just about poles and wires—it is about transforming lives, empowering communities, and showing that cooperatives can achieve what profit-driven firms would never attempt.IMT
