ERC starts probe on Panay blackout
BUSINESS AS USUAL An eatery in Iloilo City, in this photo taken last week, continues serving customers despite the widespread power outage that hit Panay and Guimaras islands in Western Visayas during the first week of 2024. —ARNOLD ALMACEN / ILOILO CITYMAYOR’S OFFICE
ILOILO CITY — The Energy Regulation Commission (ERC) has started an investigation on the blackout from Jan. 2 to 5 that crippled the islands of Panay, Guimaras, and parts of Negros Occidental.
The inquiry started on Jan. 4 after a meeting with the Regional Development Council in Western Visayas (RDC-6), said Roel Castro, president of Iloilo City electric distributor More Power and Electric Corporation (MORE Power).
The probe aims to uncover the root cause of the power outage.
Castro said data requests had been submitted to various agencies to facilitate the ongoing investigation.
Blackout hit Panay and Guimaras islands started Jan. 2 after at least 452 megawatt (MW) power was lost to the Visayas grid on Tuesday due to trip-off of power plants (302 MW) and maintenance shutdown (150 MW).
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines had yet to disclose the cause of the power plant outages except that an internal issue caused the trip off at noon of Jan. 2 of Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC) Unit 1 plant.
The blackout inconvenienced most of the more than 4.5 million people in Panay and Guimaras and affected a number of businesses establishments. Several people in Iloilo and Antique were seen bringing their sleeping mats in the plazas in the evening since it was too hot to sleep in their homes.
Iloilo City reported economic losses of P1.5 billion as establishments had to buy generator sets and fuel to power up their stores while complaints of food spoilage in restaurants were prevalent.
Power was restored in all affected areas on Jan. 5 after the Panay sub-grid provided more than the 300 megawatts (MW) needed to stabilize power supply when Palm Concepcion Power Corporation (PCPC) 7 with a capacity of 135 MW, was synchronized at 1:33 a.m. to the Panay sub-grid.
Rep. France Castro of ACT Teachers Party-list said MORE Power should be included in the probe.
When asked for comment, Roel Castro of MORE Power declined, saying it was “not worth answering at this point.” Instead, he urged the lawmaker to engage with stakeholders and gain a more comprehensive understanding of the issue before making statements.
Rep. Janette Garin of Iloilo’s first district voiced concerns over the impact of the blackout on both businesses and the health of affected residents.
Garin emphasized the need for accountability and urged an investigation on the causes of the power outage.
She stressed that those responsible should be held accountable for the extensive blackout that affected the local economy and caused health issues due to extreme temperatures.
The NGCP, a private company in charge of managing power distribution across the country, brushed aside criticisms and accusations following the three-day power blackout.
In a statement, NGCP said their responsibility lies in power transmission.
It said they were not involved in power generation issues, which are under the purview of power producers such as the PEDC and PCPC.
The NGCP called for an industry-wide approach to resolve the persistent power supply issues on Panay Island, pointing out that their mandate was confined to transmission of power from producers to grid-connected areas and not in power generation.
It expressed concern over the move of lawmakers to jump to conclusions without factual basis.
NGCP refuted claims of negligence, emphasizing its commitment to stabilizing the transmission system and the need for transparent communication with the public.
It appealed for an “objective search for facts, discouraging the use of the company as a scapegoat.”
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