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Cebu Gov. Pamela “Pam” Baricuatro has called for an Energy Summit on Oct. 7 as persistent power shortages and longer rotational brownouts raise concerns over the province’s economic expansion plans.
Baricuatro said Cebu urgently needs to address its electricity supply as the provincial government works to attract investments, expand industries and generate more jobs.
“We want more investments. We want industries to expand. We want more businesses and more jobs for Cebuanos. But none of these can happen sustainably if our energy supply cannot keep pace with our growth,” Baricuatro said.
The governor has sought the participation of the Department of Energy (DOE), National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), Visayan Electric Co., CEBECO, and other energy stakeholders to assess the province’s power situation, identify supply gaps, and map out immediate and long-term solutions.
Ongoing Brownouts
The urgency was driven by repeated alerts on the Visayas Grid and the extension of rotational brownouts in Cebu.
NGCP placed the Visayas Grid under red alert on Thursday night, with available capacity at 2,327 megawatts (MW) against peak demand of 2,250 MW. The red alert was lifted at 10:17 p.m., although the grid remained under yellow alert until 11 p.m.
By 11:34 p.m., the yellow alert was also lifted after available capacity rose to 2,440 MW against peak demand of 2,144 MW.
The situation deteriorated again on Friday. As of 2 p.m., the grid had 2,076 MW of available capacity against peak demand of 2,506 MW. NGCP placed the grid under red alert from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., with yellow alerts before and after that period.
NGCP Assistant Vice President and head of System Operations Visayas Neil Modena said the main problem was insufficient generation, not a lack of transmission infrastructure.
Nearly 1,000 MW of capacity was unavailable, with 12 power plants on forced outage and 16 others operating at reduced capacity. Major unavailable units included Therma Visayas Inc. Unit 1, Panay Energy Development Corp. Unit 3, Leyte A Maha B, and Cebu Energy Development Corp. Unit 1.
Modena said the Visayas grid was short by about 971 MW, while limited power imports from Mindanao further tightened supply.
“The supply is simply insufficient. That is why rotational brownouts are implemented to balance the system,” Modena said.
He said Cebu accounts for roughly half of the Visayas’ electricity demand, making the province particularly exposed whenever generation capacity declines.
Visayan Electric has consequently extended rotational brownouts from about one hour to as long as 2.5 hours.
Economic Growth At Risk
Cebu’s power shortage has raised concerns about the province’s efforts to rebuild its manufacturing sector and attract higher-value investments.
Paulo Uy, head of the Cebu Provincial Investment and Promotions Office, said the province is targeting industries such as electric vehicle-related manufacturing and halal-certified food processing. However, he stressed that dependable electricity is essential for such investments.
“Manufacturing requires power,” Uy said during a news media forum.
He said Cebu could remain vulnerable to yellow alerts in the coming months until additional generating capacity becomes available.
Baricuatro said the provincial government has been pushing projects that could increase Cebu’s power capacity, particularly renewable energy developments.
Among those cited were the ACCIONA solar farm in Daanbantayan and Alternergy’s wind-energy project. She also pointed to oil and gas exploration in Alegria as a potential source of future energy support.
The governor acknowledged that power generation, transmission and distribution are outside the direct jurisdiction of the provincial government. Still, she said the Capitol could help facilitate investments, convene stakeholders and advocate for Cebu’s energy requirements.
Energy Conservation
Following Friday’s meeting with energy officials, Baricuatro signed two executive orders aimed at addressing the province’s immediate and longer-term power concerns.
Executive Order 47 adopts the Takna Pagpawong Sa Suga Program, requiring provincial government facilities to observe an Energy Reduction Hour every Monday from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The program calls for reduced use of nonessential lighting, equipment and electrical systems while ensuring essential services remain operational. Air-conditioned occupied areas must maintain temperatures of at least 24 degrees Celsius, while provincial offices must monitor and report their energy savings.
The initiative aligns with the DOE’s O.N.E.: Oras Natin sa Efficiency campaign, with other sectors encouraged to participate voluntarily.
Baricuatro also signed Executive Order 48, creating a composite technical working group to oversee the transition of the provincial government’s interim power operations on Malapascua Island in Daanbantayan.
The province took over power operations there in August 2024 after the previous provider stopped operating and deployed four 500-kilovolt-ampere generator sets.
The new group will assess the system and assets, review operating requirements and evaluate potential successor operators, including the National Power Corp. Small Power Utilities Group, Cebu II Electric Cooperative Inc., and authorized microgrid providers. It will also prepare a transition plan intended to prevent service interruptions.
“I believe this is something that should have been addressed a long time ago,” Baricuatro said. “But we cannot keep looking back, and we certainly cannot allow the problem to continue. We have to deal with what is in front of us and make sure Cebu is better prepared moving forward.”
Source:
https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/763640/pam-calls-energy-summit-as-power-supply-tightens
https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/09/06/regions/gov-demands-solution-to-power-supply-woes/2419216