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Electric cooperatives (ECs) are the backbone of rural electrification in the Philippines. In Mindanao, known for its vast agricultural zones, emerging cities, and off-grid communities, these cooperatives play an even more critical role. They are responsible not only for distributing electricity but also for ensuring energy stability, supporting local development, and integrating renewable energy systems.
As of 2025–2026, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) continues to recognize high-performing ECs across the country, with several Mindanao-based cooperatives consistently included in performance rankings, financial audits, and reliability assessments.
COTELCO (Cotabato Electric Cooperative)
One of the most important reasons COTELCO is frequently highlighted is its aggressive Sitio Electrification Program (SEP) implementation. As of 2024, the cooperative reported significant progress in energizing remote households, reaching around 90% completion in its targeted off-grid sitios in North Cotabato. This reflects not only infrastructure expansion but also operational efficiency in reaching geographically difficult communities.
Another major factor is its recognition in the 2023 NEA–PHILRECA (Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives) awards, where COTELCO-PPALMA earned multiple distinctions, including awards for corporate performance, community programs, safety, and member-consumer engagement. These awards are based on prior-year performance assessments and are part of NEA’s updated cooperative evaluation system, which emphasizes governance, financial discipline, and service reliability.
In 2020, COTELCO expanded its distribution capacity to meet rising electricity demand driven by population growth and increasing commercial activity in North Cotabato. It inaugurated a 5-MVA substation in Carmen to improve local reliability and support future line expansion toward Banisilan, its farthest coverage area. Shortly after, it energized a 20-MVA substation in Kidapawan City to address growing urban and industrial demand in the province’s capital.
Classified as a “Triple A” EC, Cotelco maintains eight substations that deliver power to roughly 160,000 consumers across Kidapawan City and 11 municipalities in North Cotabato, covering residential, commercial, industrial, and government loads throughout its franchise area.
(Also read: Davao Light Takeover Signals Turning Point For Power-Strained Davao del Norte Communities)
DASURECO (Davao del Sur Electric Cooperative)
DASURECO reaffirmed its position as one of Mindanao’s leading ECs after securing multiple distinctions at the Joint NEA 2025 Lumens Awards and PHILRECA Awards from the Wires. The cooperative was once again named a Top Performing Electric Cooperative.
Beyond its top performance citation, DASURECO also received multiple recognitions from both NEA and PHILRECA, further highlighting its consistent excellence in financial management, operational reliability, safety, and overall contribution to the EC sector.
DASURECO also stands out for its low system loss performance and strong financial discipline. Its ability to maintain efficiency in power distribution while serving a wide and sometimes geographically challenging franchise area reflects strong technical management and planning.
Additionally, the cooperative actively participates in NEA’s Local Total Electrification Roadmap (LTER), aligning its programs with the national goal of achieving full household electrification by 2028.
Beyond technical performance, DASURECO is also known for its solidarity with other cooperatives. In 2023, DASURECO joined other ECs in extending support to the Maguindanao Electric Cooperative (MAGELCO) through a ₱5 million interest-free loan. The funding support was intended to help MAGELCO, a conflict-affected cooperative, improve power reliability and reduce system losses, strengthening overall distribution performance in its franchise area.
DASURECO serves the province of Davao del Sur, covering key areas such as Digos City and the municipalities of Bansalan, Hagonoy, Kiblawan, Magsaysay, Matanao, and Sulop.
ZAMSURECO I (Zamboanga del Sur)
ZAMSURECO I has repeatedly been recognized for excellence in operational performance, financial discipline, and rural electrification leadership. It was also named among the Top Performing Electric Cooperatives nationwide by the 2025 NEA Lumens and PHILRECA Awards.
ZAMSURECO I serves around 140,000 consumers across Pagadian City and 24 municipalities, with thousands of kilometers of distribution lines reaching even remote barangays. This level of coverage, especially in far-flung and underserved areas, demonstrates its role as a true rural development engine, not just a power distributor.
It also has a long-standing reputation for high operational discipline, particularly in collections and financial management. The cooperative achieved consistent 100% collection efficiency for multiple years, alongside “turnaround” recognition and sustained AAA-level performance in earlier NEA evaluations.
Moreover, its leadership has held key positions in organizations like PHILRECA and the Association of Mindanao Electric Cooperatives (AMRECO), influencing policy, governance standards, and cooperative development across Mindanao. This kind of industry influence signals credibility beyond its franchise area.
Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative (ZAMCELCO)
Reliable electricity remains a critical driver of economic and social activity in Zamboanga City. Businesses such as hotels, hospitals, factories, and commercial establishments depend on stable power to sustain operations and service quality, while tourism also benefits from an uninterrupted supply. Improvements in power stability in recent years have supported infrastructure development and business expansion, with ZAMCELCO’s enhanced distribution capacity and grid management helping meet rising demand and enabling industries to operate more competitively.
ZAMCELCO’s growing consumer base further reflects expanding electrification and deeper socio-economic participation. From 2017 to 2022, billed consumers surpassed 125,000, signaling increased household and business connectivity. This progress has supported major developments across the city, including commercial centers, healthcare facilities, and tourism-related projects.
To strengthen system efficiency, ZAMCELCO has worked with the NEA and other Mindanao cooperatives under Task Force Metro Zamboanga. The initiative focuses on inspections, meter replacements, and database updates to reduce system losses caused by power theft and unmetered usage. Despite ongoing challenges, including system losses above regulatory thresholds, these efforts aim to improve operational performance.
A recent legal victory against electricity pilferage further reinforces ZAMCELCO’s commitment to protecting its network, ensuring fair billing, and maintaining a more reliable and sustainable power system for its consumers.
(Also read: Mindanao Brightens Its Future: Racing Toward a 50-50 Renewable Energy Mix by 2030)
Powering Mindanao’s Growth Through Resilient ECs
Electrifying Mindanao remains a complex and demanding task due to its vast geography, dispersed island and upland communities, and areas with historically limited infrastructure and security challenges. Long distribution lines, difficult terrain, weather disruptions, and high system loss risks all make reliable electricity delivery more costly and technically challenging compared to more urbanized regions. Despite these barriers, ECs across the region have demonstrated that sustained progress is possible through strong governance, infrastructure investment, and community-focused service.
The experiences of cooperatives such as COTELCO, DASURECO, ZAMSURECO I, and ZAMCELCO show that ECs are not just utility providers, but essential development institutions. They drive rural electrification, support local economies, enable education and healthcare services, and attract commercial investment by ensuring a stable power supply. Their continued expansion of coverage, improvement of system efficiency, and participation in national electrification programs reflect a long-term commitment to inclusive growth.
Ultimately, these cooperatives prove that even in a geographically fragmented and challenging environment like Mindanao, development can be powered sustainably when institutions are rooted in service, resilience, and community engagement. ECs remain a vital foundation for bridging energy gaps, strengthening regional economies, and ensuring that progress reaches both urban centers and the most remote communities.
Sources:
https://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php/articles/1231529
https://www.ppalmacotelco.com/copy-of-nea-50-1
https://www.philstar.com/business/2023/02/07/2243018/nea-chief-amend-criteria-ec-categorization
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1114420
https://www.dasureco.com/dasureco-named-top-performing-ec-at-joint-nea-philreca-awards-2025/
https://www.dasureco.com/dasurecosupportsstrengtheningof-neaslte
https://www.dasureco.com/press-release-dasureco-a-beacon-of-hope-for-magelcos-uprating-project
https://www.zamsureco1.com/index.php/about-us/awards
https://web.philreca.org/assets/images/philreca/publications/press_release/2025/august/14a.pdf
https://www.zamsureco1.com/index.php/gm-s-corner
https://mb.com.ph/2023/6/18/zamcelco-credits-stable-power-supply-for-growth
