Palace: Mindanao will have sufficient power supply during elections

Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Malacañang on Thursday assured that Mindanao would have enough power supply during the 2016 elections amid recent bombings on some transmission towers of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

“Kasama ‘yan sa programa ng Department of Energy, ‘yung pagtitiyak na mayroong sapat at maaasahang suplay ng kuryente, lalong-lalo na sa panahon ng eleksyon. (Kung) maaalala natin naisagawa ‘yan noong 2013 at isasagawa muli sa 2016,” Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a press briefing.

(That is included in the program of the Department of Energy, ensuring that there is sufficient and reliable energy supply especially during the election period. If we may recall, that was done in 2013, and will again be done in 2016.)

READ: More power outages seen in Mindanao as bombed transmission tower remains unrepaired

Coloma said the Department of Energy (DOE) had been “coordinating efforts to ensure continuous and reliable power supply in Mindanao.”

Quoting Energy Secretary Zenaida Monsada, Coloma said 14 out of the 15 towers have resumed operations.

“We note that the power supply for the Mindanao region is derived from a combination of sources including the existing hydroelectric power plants. The power grid in the region is not solely dependent on these transmission towers, which are connected to the Agus-Pulangi hydroelectric power plants,” Coloma said.

The Palace official said the provincial government of Lanao del Sur is working with concerned local government units and the NGCP to tighten security on the transmission towers.

On Wednesday, NGCP warned the public of more power outages in Mindanao as it declared “red alert” due to the limited power supply in the Mindanao grid. CDG
READ: AFP vows to secure NGCP towers in Mindanao