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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Ranking solon eyes House probe on Western Visayas power outages

Ranking solon eyes House probe on Western Visayas power outages

Published Jan 3, 2024 08:41 am

At A Glance

  • Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo City lone district Rep. Julienne "Jam-Jam" Baronda is urging the House of Representatives to investigate in aid of legislation the power outages that affected several provinces in Western Visayas. 



Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo City lone district Rep. Julienne “Jam-Jam” Baronda is urging the House of Representatives to investigate in aid of legislation the power outages that affected several provinces in Western Visayas. 

In a statement on Wednesday, Jan. 3, Baronda said the power interruptions “sent the entire Panay Island and portions of Negros Island into darkness”. 

She explained that this critical issue warrants scrutiny by the House in the exercise of its Congressional oversight function to safeguard public welfare. 

On Tuesday, Jan. 2, an advisory from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said all power plants in Panay Island had shut down at around 2:27 p.m. Soon after, the Negros-Panay grid was totally out. 

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas suspended classes at all levels in the province amid the ongoing power outages. The local government has also put up charging stations all over the city for residents in need. 

In May 2023, Baronda alongside other Western Visayas lawmakers also sought for a House inquiry into prior issues of unscheduled and intermittent blackouts in the region. The probe has yet to be concluded. 

“And yet this new incident took place, distressing the Ilonggos. It seems that those responsible and accountable have yet to learn their lesson,” Baronda said. 

It was during the committee hearings in August 2023 that the House leader strongly pushed for the full implementation of the interconnection of the Luzon and Visayas grids--which would pass through Mindoro--as one of the measures to address the power problem on Panay Island.

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