MANILA: Senators asked on Thursday concerned agencies, including the Department of Energy (DOE), to fix the power outage in Panay Island.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri was dismayed by the persistent blackouts happening in several provinces in Western Visayas, particularly in Iloilo.
“This situation is no longer tolerable, and the Department of Energy and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines must urgently address this issue before irreparable damage is done to our communities,” Zubiri said in a statement.
Citing the event as “not a good sign to start the year,” he said constant power interruptions have widespread effects on communities.
“They affect not only businesses, livelihood, and the delivery of basic services to the people, but they have dire and far-reaching consequences on the lives of citizens,” Zubiri said.
“The DOE and the NGCP (National Grid Corporation of the Philippines) must understand the gravity of this situation and act decisively to resolve the situation. They should
get their acts together immediately. We demand transparency in identifying the root causes of these outages and a comprehensive plan of action to resolve them,” he added.
Senate Majority Joel Villanueva recalled filing Senate Resolution No. 556 in March last year calling on the DOE, Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), and other concerned agencies to ensure continuous energy supply in the country, especially during peak seasons and calamities.
The government, he said, should have a short- and long-term plan to ensure that there would be no more power disruptions in the future.
“These programs must include proper maintenance of power plants, generators, and similar facilities. We also need to continue exploring other sources of renewal energy such as wind and solar to keep up with the department’s goal of renewable power generation mix target of 35 percent by 2030,” he added.
Senator Grace Poe, who hails from Panay, recalled that the blackout that happened in April last year in the island provinces should h
ave been an eye-opener for the NGCP and power utilities.
“They should have been better prepared for any system disturbance and avert such with efficient planning and utilization of resources,” Poe said.
Meanwhile, Senator Raffy Tulfo, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Energy, said he would file a resolution seeking to investigate the power outage.
The severity of the power shortage in Panay Island, Senator Jinggoy Estrada said, is not only affecting households, but also businesses, hospitals, and other crucial services that depend on a reliable power source.
“This issue needs to be resolved immediately and efficiently. I urge the concerned government agencies, power utilities, and relevant stakeholders to prioritize and expedite the resolution of the power crisis in Panay Island,” Estrada said in his statement.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian also urged the DOE, NGCP, and ERC to “swiftly implement effective measures to prevent the recurrence of such disruptive incidents, which adversely affect business o
perations and the day-to-day activities of our people.”
“Iloilo City and the Panay Island are economic drivers of the Visayas area. Power supply disturbances should never happen as businesses will suffer tremendous financial losses,” Gatchalian noted saying he will also file a resolution to probe the incident and propose new policies to prevent power disruptions in the future.
House probe
Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin has called for a congressional probe into the widespread power outage that hit Panay Island.
Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin said those responsible for the power outage would face accountability, stressing the severe impact of the blackout on people’s lives and economic activities.
She said urgent solutions are needed to ensure a consistent and reliable electricity supply for everyone.
Garin noted areas such as Guimaras Island, Iloilo, Antique, Aklan, and Capiz were among those affected by the power outage, adversely impacting the livelihoods of residents, particularly small business owners.
She pa
rticularly cited the detrimental effects on businesses like eateries and market vendors, whose perishable goods suffered due to the sudden power loss.
“Maraming nasirang ingredients ng ating MSMEs mga kainan. Mga isda ng mangingisda sira din. Parang hindi magandang pagsalubong sa taong 2024 (A lot of ingredients used by our micro, small and medium enterprises in their eateries were spoiled. The fisherfolk also experienced fish spoils. I don’t’ think this is a good way to welcome 2024),” she said.
Garin also called upon the DOE and the NGCP to promptly address and resolve the power outage situation in Western Visayas.
On Tuesday, Panay Island experienced power disruption after multiple power plants reportedly shut down.
In an advisory, the NCGP initially said only power plants in Panay Island ceased operating, but eventually, the entire Negros-Panay grid became affected.
The DOE is closely coordinating with the NGCP and all affected generation plants and distribution utilities assuring the public that pow
er restoration is of priority.
Source: Philippines News Agency