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The Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) have traded accusations over delays in securing backup power for the Visayas, where grid instability has triggered repeated warnings and disruptions.
Unplanned outages at major power plants have strained electricity supply, with the grid recording 44 red alerts and 115 yellow alerts so far this year.
The Visayas grid’s supply woes have been compounded by generating plants that remain offline for extended periods. NGCP reported that 11 plants have been out of service since September, while others have been unavailable since August, June, and May. Some units have been offline for years: one since 2021, three since 2023, two since 2024, and another three since 2025.
Power barges and solar facilities paired with battery energy storage systems (BESS) were among the short-term measures discussed at a House hearing in Bacolod on the Visayas’ persistent power shortages. Bacolod Rep. Albee Benitez proposed granting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emergency powers to speed up solutions, a move Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said could accelerate the construction of power plants and transmission lines.
(Also read: Bohol’s Clean Energy Push Cannot Outrun Its Need For Firm Power)
DOE’s Planning Failures
The Visayas power crisis has exposed serious gaps in government planning and regulation, with the DOE facing criticism. Lawmakers called out the DOE for failing to present concrete solutions to the persistent supply problems.
Garin acknowledged planning lapses and admitted that the Visayas lacks sufficient baseload capacity to keep pace with rising demand. The crisis, she explained, could persist until 2028.
Philstar columnist Boo Chanco stressed that the Visayas power problem has been years in the making, while consumer advocacy groups have long faulted the DOE for relying on “paper planning” without translating plans into concrete action.
“For years, regulators left plants that had been broken down for years on the official list of the grid’s dependable capacity. By counting ‘phantom megawatts’ that physically could not run, the DOE artificially inflated the region’s safety margin,” he wrote. “It justified their doing nothing because, on paper, the grid looked fine.”
Legislators criticized the DOE for failing to anticipate the Visayas’ rising electricity needs. They also questioned why the agency did not respond more effectively to the persistent poor performance of power plants in Panay, despite repeated signs of trouble. Critics argue that the DOE had ample time to arrange alternative supply, including deploying power barges before shortages became more severe.
According to Chanco, the problems extend beyond the current leadership of the DOE. He cited stalled power projects despite surging demand in Cebu, insufficient incentives for new baseload plants, and the approval of solar projects in Negros without mandatory battery storage.
He also faulted the DOE and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for delays in clearing BESS for commercial use and for failing to account for the declining reliability of aging coal plants. With little reserve capacity to cushion unexpected outages, the simultaneous shutdown of major generating units leaves the Visayas grid vulnerable to repeated power alerts.
Garin acknowledged that years of inadequate planning have left the Visayas with no quick way out of its power crisis. Building new baseload plants can take at least six years, with environmental and local government permits alone often requiring five years to secure.
NGCP’s Share of the Blame
Garin said the agency had asked NGCP as early as May to secure BESS, which could help bridge the gap while new generation capacity is being developed.
The DOE also accused NGCP of failing to finalize contracts for at least 250 megawatts (MW) of ancillary services, which help keep electricity supply and demand balanced and stabilize the grid. After issuing repeated directives from May to August, the department served NGCP a show-cause order on Aug. 13, citing unfinished agreements and delays in related testing and commissioning. It also flagged transmission bottlenecks that limit the movement of available power across the region.
NGCP denied deliberately delaying the contracts, saying there were too few qualified facilities ready to provide the required services. It added that suppliers must complete connection, testing, and commissioning procedures before agreements can be finalized, while assuring that it continues to pursue additional contracts and transmission projects to improve grid reliability.
The Importance of In-Region Baseload Capacity
The Visayas lacks enough baseload power to keep up with rising electricity demand, highlighted the DOE. Garin also explained that Negros may have excess electricity during the day, largely from solar power, but output falls as demand rises in the evening.
“Negros alone cannot survive because there is not enough baseload,” she said.
This leaves the region reliant on power generated on other islands and transmitted through interconnections. Garin warned that an outage in Panay could also affect Negros.
Prioritizing inter-island transmission projects over new power plants was a costly planning misstep, leaving the Visayas too dependent on electricity imports from Luzon and Mindanao. The assumption that these regions could consistently supply surplus power proved unreliable, as both also faced plant outages and grid constraints.
The Visayas needs more generation capacity within the region, including dependable baseload plants on its major islands. Interconnections can provide backup, but they cannot replace sufficient local power supply.
In Cebu, power demand is outpacing the rollout of new generation capacity. “Cebu is growing exponentially, and projects are not keeping up with the demand. We have to catch up. We still have time to catch up,” insisted Garin.“Isang power plant lang mawawala, mag-alert ulit tayo and that is not good for business” (“If just one power plant goes offline, we’ll be under alert again, and that is not good for business”).
(Also read: CERA Warns Coal Bans Put Visayas Power Security At Risk)
Economy at Risk
Lapu-Lapu Lone District Representative Junard Chan urged authorities to act swiftly on the Visayas power crisis, warning that consumers cannot wait until 2031 for reliable electricity. He said such delays would leave households and businesses struggling with recurring rotational brownouts and high power bills for years, while criticizing the agencies involved for failing to show sufficient urgency despite consumers bearing the heaviest burden.
Meanwhile, Benitez questioned whether the Visayas has the reliable power infrastructure needed to support its economic ambitions.
“The issue before us today is not simply whether [or not] we have enough electricity,” he said. “The bigger question is, does Visayas have the energy foundation to sustain the growth and economic potential of our region?”
Business groups in Iloilo warned that recurring power interruptions threaten the province’s economic growth, put jobs at risk, and make it harder for enterprises to stay afloat. It added that businesses are being squeezed by rising electricity rates and the added costs of outages, which disrupt operations and erode earnings.
Chan cautioned that costly electricity could leave families with little to enjoy from their Christmas bonuses, as much of the extra income goes toward settling utility bills. For households across the Visayas, he said, meaningful holiday relief would come from fewer power interruptions and lower electricity costs.
For Chanco, the Visayas power crisis is a forewarning of wider electricity troubles ahead.
“What is happening in the Visayas is going to happen to Luzon and Mindanao unless the government improves its planning and regulation,” he concluded.
Sources:
https://www.philstar.com/the-freeman/cebu-news/2026/10/05/2561060/ahong-pushes-quick-power-fixes
https://www.philstar.com/business/2026/10/09/2561835/regulatory-failure
https://mb.com.ph/2026/10/06/doe-sees-visayas-power-supply-gap-persisting-until-2028