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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider The Economy devider DOE: Delays are 'no longer acceptable' as power outages hit Visayas

DOE: Delays are 'no longer acceptable' as power outages hit Visayas

Published Aug 5, 2025 06:01 pm
Following a series of yellow alerts on the Visayas grid, the Department of Energy (DOE) is urging power plant operators to restore their facilities immediately.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin stated on Tuesday, August 5, that she has directed Undersecretary Mario Marasigan to investigate the forced power plant outages in both Visayas and Mindanao.
“The restoration of these facilities must be treated with utmost urgency,” she stressed. "I have directed Undersecretary Mario C. Marasigan to lead this effort and work closely with all affected generation companies to establish clear and realistic timelines for the full return to service of these plants. We expect full cooperation and accountability—delays are no longer acceptable at this point.”
The DOE has identified 14 generation facilities in the Visayas that have shut down, while another five are operating at reduced capacity. This has resulted in a loss of 348.4 megawatts (MW) from the grid's available supply.
In Mindanao, 11 generation facilities have experienced unplanned outages, and three others are running at reduced capacity, leading to a total loss of 558.8 MW.
According to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), a yellow alert was issued for the Visayas grid on Tuesday, August 5, from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. A similar alert was also placed on the Mindanao grid on Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. These alerts are issued when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid's contingency requirements.
To help manage the situation, the DOE has ordered private distribution utilities to prepare for an Interruptible Load Program (ILP).
This program eases pressure on the grid by using large consumers with their own generators. The DOE confirmed that More Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power) and Visayan Electric Co. (VECO) have already committed to activating their customers’ standby generators.

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