PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. has directed the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to address the energy supply problem in Panay, Guimaras and Negros, and expedite the completion of pending projects weeks to prevent massive blackouts.
Among others, the President wants the Cebu-Negros-Panay backbone project and the undertaking “protecting” the transmission, generation and distribution lines in the areas finished the soonest time possible.
The President issued the directive a day after he said that the national government is looking at “augmenting” the initiatives of local officials to address the power supply condition in the Visayas island caused by problems in local distribution system.
“Nagbigay ng direktiba si Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. sa National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) na solusyonan ang problema ng Panay, Guimaras at Negros sa kuryente (President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines to solve the electricity problem in Panay, Guimaras and Negros),” the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a statement.
PCO said the President also wants regular updates on the status of the Visayas grid.
and the ongoing Cebu-Negros-Panay backbone project.
The first phase of the 230-kilovolt Cebu-Negros-Panay backbone project was completed in December last year, which has resulted in a surplus of around 85 kilowatts supply in the area.
The third phase of the project is expected to be finished in June, which will link Negros and Cebu by laying overhead lines from Bacolod City to San Carlos City, and to Toledo City through submarine cables.
“NGCP was (also) instructed to synchronize the ‘protection relays of transmission, generation, and distribution’ in the next two weeks to prevent massive blackouts,” PCO said.
It added that NGCP was also ordered to review the reliability of each of the Visayas sub-grids and hasten the signing of the Ancillary Service Procurement Agreement with the Energy Regulatory Commission to manage power fluctuations.
Guimaras, Negros and Panay suffered from power outages last week.
