The Cebu Electricity Rights Advocates called on Congress to investigate frequent power outages and plant failures across the Visayas, while demanding accountability from power companies and government regulators.
The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines reported about 73 straight days of yellow and red alerts, noting that recent outages at major coal-fired power plants left more than 400 megawatts of power offline.
Cera lead convenor Nathaniel Chua urged a strict audit by the Department of Energy and the Energy Regulatory Commission, pointing out that transmission bottlenecks prevent Luzon's extra power reserves from reaching the Visayas.
A LOCAL consumer group is asking Congress to investigate the constant power outages and plant failures across the Visayas. The group warns that ongoing power problems threaten families and businesses while demanding answers from power companies and government regulators.
In an official statement, the Cebu Electricity Rights Advocates (Cera) said an inquiry is necessary to find out why major power plants keep going offline and whether poor maintenance played a role.
Cera lead convenor Nathaniel Chua also called for a strict audit by the Department of Energy and the Energy Regulatory Commission. He stressed that consumers deserve accountability when multibillion-peso facilities break down.
Grid under heavy strain
The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) reported that the Visayas grid suffered about 73 straight days of yellow and red alerts.
In a Sept. 9 advisory, the NGCP reported available power at 2,124 megawatts (MW) against a peak demand of 2,555 MW. Forced outages and reduced operations left more than 400 MW of power offline.
The NGCP noted that recent outages at major coal-fired power plants contributed to the alerts, including Therma Visayas, Inc. Units 1 and 2, as well as Panay Energy Development Corp. Unit 3.
Cera added that 25 to 30 power generation units in the Visayas have faced forced outages or operated at severely reduced capacity at various times.
“It is completely unacceptable that our major power plants are suddenly ‘conking out’ at the exact same time, plunging Cebu’s households and businesses into deep uncertainty,” Chua said.
Transmission bottlenecks limit power sharing
Cera explained that the ongoing crisis goes beyond power generation, pointing to major bottlenecks in the transmission grid that connect the country's main islands.
Currently, the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project allows up to 450 MW of power sharing between the two regions, while the Luzon-Visayas high-voltage direct current connection transfers 440 MW.
The NGCP is working to upgrade the Luzon-Visayas link to double its capacity to 880 MW. Cera wants this upgrade fast-tracked and expanded even further so extra electricity from Luzon can easily reach the Visayas during power shortages.
Addressing the power gap
While the Visayas grid faces frequent red alerts, the Luzon grid generally maintains plenty of extra power reserves, exposing a major weakness in the transmission network.
“This is a tragic irony and a massive inequity,” Chua said, explaining that limited transmission links stop Luzon’s extra power from helping the Visayas.
Cera insists that a congressional investigation, government audits of power plants, and an immediate review of grid infrastructure are urgently needed to protect the region from further disruptions.
“Our economy and our daily lives can no longer afford these structural failures,” Chua said.