Solon calls for stable power supply to protect the elderly

Senior Citizens Party-list Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker has advised electric power authorities on Saturday to develop more projects to stabilize power lines to avoid fluctuations.

According to Senior Citizen Partylist Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes, this is for the sake of the elderly who suffer when heat temperatures reach high levels.

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“It is of the best interest of consumers that include many senior citizens if new power projects will be developed as soon as possible,” Ordanes said.

“Senior citizens are vulnerable to heat stroke, if they are not used to high temperatures,” he added.

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Data from the Department of Health (DOH) as of May 1 shows that there have been 77 cases of heat-related illnesses since the beginning of 2024.

Among them, there were 77 reported deaths, which the DOH said was still inconclusive to infer from whether it was due to heat stroke.

In relation, the country has also faced a string of power alerts issued by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines in recent days.

“We are now in a situation in which our power supply is simply low and knotty to solve. The last thing we want to happen is for certain groups to hamper this administration and the private sector to solve the nation’s energy security,” Ordanes added.