MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday ordered the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to reset the rates of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
“I have also directed the ERC to complete the reset of NGCP’s rates without further delay, to ensure NGCP’s compliance with its statutory and regulatory obligations, and to defend in no uncertain terms against any attempt to defer, delay, or prevent the implementation of regulatory measures,” Marcos said in a video message on Facebook.
Marcos said that while power has been restored, the loss of electricity in Western Visayas since January 2 caused difficulty for residents and crippled businesses.
According to the President, the NGCP had a two-hour window to prevent the system collapse.
“Regrettably, during this period, NGCP failed to resort to manual load dropping resulting in the crisis that we are facing now. This is not the first time that such a blackout has occurred,” said Marcos.
Marcos cited an April 2023 incident wherein power was lost in Panay.
“Accountability lies with the NGCP. They are tasked with grid stability. Stability involves proactive responses to breakdowns and unexpected events, a duty that NGCP unfortunately has not fulfilled adequately,” he said.
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