Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Regan Rex King and former Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Mark Anthony Ynoc warned at the Cebu Economic Forum 4.0 on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, that persistent power outages and rising operational costs threaten Cebu's economic growth and investor interest.
The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines placed the Visayas grid under a Red Alert from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, contributing to a total of 96 Yellow Alerts and 33 Red Alerts recorded in the region between Jan. 1 and Sept. 7.
Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro scheduled a convergence meeting on Oct. 7, 2026, to map out long-term solutions, as business leaders stress that backup generators, short-term fixes, and scheduled plant restarts are insufficient to fix the grid.
Persistent power outages across Cebu are pushing up operational costs for local businesses, leading top industry leaders to warn that unreliable energy could scare off international investors and stunt economic growth.
The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) are urging government officials to tackle the region's energy crisis head-on before it harms Cebu’s competitive edge.
Frequent electricity disruptions force companies—especially manufacturers—to rely heavily on costly backup diesel generators to keep factories running.
Former MCCI President Mark Anthony Ynoc cautioned that the rising price of fuel and backup electricity will eventually ripple down to everyday consumers. "Anything you do with power, anything you do with fuel … that affects the supply chain increases the consumer cost," Ynoc explained.
To cope with scheduled power cuts, businesses are shifting work hours, shortening shifts, and rushing to install solar energy systems. However, CCCI President Regan Rex King emphasized that these quick fixes cannot replace a stable grid, noting that solid power infrastructure is vital to keeping investor interest alive.
These warnings were delivered at the Cebu Economic Forum 4.0 on Tuesday, Sept. 8, an event hosted by the Cebu Provincial Government and attended by foreign delegates from 11 nations.
King pointed out that access to consistent electricity is now a deciding factor for major global companies looking to set up shop in the region. He called for unified action among national agencies, local governments, and private power firms, noting that Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro has scheduled a convergence meeting on Oct. 7 to map out long-term solutions.
The business community's plea comes amid ongoing grid instability across the Visayas.
On Tuesday, Sept. 8, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) placed the Visayas grid under a Red Alert from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. due to insufficient power generation. Between Jan. 1 and Sept. 7, the region suffered 96 Yellow Alerts and 33 Red Alerts.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin called the frequent power failures "unacceptable." While major coal plants and battery storage projects are scheduled to bring several hundred megawatts back online through October, business leaders stress that temporary plant restarts are not enough.
Ynoc stressed that fixing the grid requires a complete overhaul from generation to distribution, stating plainly: "There is no short-term solution. It requires a long-term solution." KOC