MANILA - The Department of Energy (DOE) on Friday said the power outage in Panay Island could have been prevented had the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) proactively called on the distribution utilities and electric cooperatives there to reduce their load.

Reducing the load could have prevented the sub-system-wide collapse that disrupted the lives of many.

In a press conference in Taguig, DOE Secretary Raphael Lotilla said the island-wide blackout in Panay was preventable but NGCP did not do something about it.

“From the time that a generator had an unscheduled breakdown past noon of January 2, NGCP did not do anything as the systems operator responsible for maintaining the stability and integrity of the transmission grid,” Lotilla said.

Lotilla emphasized that the previous incident in April 2023 should have served as a lesson to take extraordinary precautions due to the fragility of the grid.

But in a phone interview, NGCP spokesperson Atty. Cynthia Alabanza said there was no need for a load dropping that time.

”At that time na nangyari ang situation, walang indikasyon sa sistema na dapat kaming mag-load drop. Kasi yung load dropping na yan, ginagawa yan para ma-control ang boltahe, ngayon at that time walang problema sa boltahe, stable siya so walang dahilan para mag-load drop kami,” Alabanza explained.

DOE Undersecretary Sharon Garin was also not convinced of NGCP’s reason behind delayed projects such as the right-of-way issue obstructing the Cebu-Negros-Panay backbone project.

“We go out of our way to help them process…ang schedule sana ng Cebu, Negros, Panay was…mga 8-years ago pa… I do not believe that it takes 8 years for a right of way case to be settled, specially ‘pag may national significance. Mahina siguro abogado, so the right of way and permit problem, I don’t think its the reason, it is a mere excuse,” Garin said.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Martin Romualdez in a statement called on the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and the NGCP to conduct a thorough investigation into the massive blackout that gripped Panay Island.

“This event has highlighted critical issues in our power infrastructure, impacting numerous businesses, industries, and the daily lives of our citizens. Despite earlier identified solutions, the recurrence of power outages indicates a failure in implementation. The incomplete construction of transmission lines for the Cebu, Negros, and Panay grid is particularly concerning,” Romualdez said.

Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin also called for a congressional inquiry into the Panay power outage.

"Maraming nasirang ingredients ng ating MSMEs mga kainan. Mga isda ng mangingisda sira din. Parang hindi magandang pagsalubong sa taong 2024," Garin said in a statement.

Garin said the incident is unacceptable, adding that it affected lives and economic activities in the Island.

Senate Committee on Energy Chair Raffy Tulfo, meanwhile, said the incident warrants a review of NGCP’s franchise.

But the NGCP said lawmakers should not make conclusions based on speculations.

“It is alarming to hear policymakers immediately make conclusions based on assumptions contrary to fact. We are firm in our position that the system prior to the 2:19PM multiple tripping was normal, and our actions were undertaken within protocols. Any contrary statement is speculative,” NGCP said.

As the transmission service provider, according to NGCP, they can only give an overview of the current supply and demand situation and endeavor to dispatch any and all available power and they cannot intervene on matters concerning power generation.

On their latest advisory, NGCP said as of 1:00 p.m, they were able to fully restored all affected feeders in Panay and normalized transmission operations in the area.

Update on Panay Island Power Generation Failure
As of 05 January 2024 / 1:00PM

At 12:34PM, NGCP fully restored all affected feeders in Panay and normalized transmission operations in the area following the synchronization of PCPC (135MW) to the grid.https://t.co/PVvFzPrpKt

— NGCP (@NGCP_ALERT) January 5, 2024

The DOE strongly reminds the NGCP to implement the Transmission Development Plan (TDP) which outlines essential expansion and modernization projects for the transmission system to ensure the reliable and efficient delivery of electricity throughout the country.