Electricity in the Philippines became privatized through the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) , which was enacted in 2001. The law started the big shift away from a fully government-run power system and opened generation, transmission, and supply to private participation, with the reforms rolling out over the following years.

What that means

  • 2001 is the key year to remember for the legal start of privatization.
  • The process was not instantaneous ; assets and operations were transferred gradually over time through sales, concessions, and market restructuring.
  • Even in 2026 , reports still describe EPIRA as the reform that reshaped the sector, showing that privatization was a long transition rather than a single event.

Simple timeline

  1. 2001 — EPIRA was passed, launching privatization.
  1. Following years — government power assets and functions were progressively turned over to private players.
  1. 2026 — major privatization-related transfers were still being completed, such as the CBK hydropower complex handover.

In plain language

So the best short answer is: electricity privatization in the Philippines began in 2001, with EPIRA. If you mean when private ownership became widespread in practice, that happened gradually after 2001 and is still discussed as an ongoing reform process.