CONSUMERS in the Visayas continue to face power insecurity, as the Department of Energy (DOE) on Monday admitted before the House of Representatives that it has no immediate solution to the region’s supply crisis and warned that possible Yellow and Red Alerts may return in October.
At the joint hearing of the House Committees on Energy, Visayas Development, and Legislative Franchises, energy officials were pressed to explain why the Visayas remains vulnerable despite being connected to the country’s interconnected power grid.
House Committee on Energy Chairman Jose Alvarez pointedly asked why the region continues to experience supply warnings despite available connections with Luzon and Mindanao.
‘Why are we still experiencing Red and Yellow Alerts? Why can’t Mindanao power plants supply the Visayas? Why can’t Luzon provide additional power?’ Alvarez asked.
Alvarez said the DOE has yet to present an immediate solution to address the recurring power shortages.
‘They do not have an immediate solution,’ Alvarez said.
DOE Undersecretary Mario Marasigan explained that the limited supply coming from Mindanao was due to the simultaneous outage of several major power plants. With these facilities unavailable, only around 50 megawatts of electricity can currently be transmitted to the Visayas.
Marasigan also pointed to the lack of sufficient conventional and baseload power sources in parts of the region, particularly Negros.
‘Negros has no baseload capacity except for one geothermal facility. Most of its supply comes from renewable sources, especially solar power. There are not enough conventional power plants,’ Marasigan said.
He added that the intermittent nature of some renewable energy sources can further tighten supply conditions, especially when other generation units experience unexpected shutdowns.
‘When a power plant goes offline, we already experience a shortage,’ Marasigan said.
The DOE official said the agency is working with generation companies to accelerate the return of unavailable power plants and stabilize the region’s electricity supply.
‘What is important is for the plants that are offline to return to operation as soon as possible,’ he said.
However, Marasigan warned that the Visayas power system remains at risk, with possible Yellow and Red Alerts still expected during the second and third weeks of October due to continuing supply constraints.
Meanwhile, Negros Occidental Rep. Javi Benitez called for greater accountability, saying consumers continue to pay for electricity reliability that they do not always receive.
‘The second most expensive electricity is the electricity you are charged for and never receive,’ Benitez said during the briefing.
Benitez’s House Resolution 1430 seeks to examine the cost, procurement, and actual delivery of ancillary services charged to Visayas consumers, as well as the status of generation, energy storage, and transmission projects affecting the region.
He stressed that the power crisis is not limited to one area but affects communities across the Visayas.
‘This is not one province complaining. This is the Visayas, standing in one line, asking one question,’ Benitez said.
Benitez said the inquiry is intended to determine what went wrong and ensure accountability.
‘It is not a witch hunt. It is an audit. We are not here to shame anyone; we are here to count,’ he said.
Lawmakers are seeking clearer answers on how to prevent repeated power disruptions and ensure a more reliable supply of electricity for consumers as the region faces possible shortages in the coming weeks.