Tovic Salvador

Article (news)

Arthur Fuentes

ABS-CBN News

MANILA (UPDATE) — Meralco said it has begun implementing &quot;manual load dropping&quot; in its franchise areas following the Red Alert over the Luzon grid. The power distributor said this means some areas will experience two-hour long rotating brownouts starting 3:24 p.m. The National Grid Corp of the Philippines placed the Luzon grid on Red Alert from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m, and on Yellow Alert from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. According to the NGCP, Luzon&#x27;s peak demand is at 12,537 megawatts, while the available capacity is 12,447MW. With several power plants on forced outage or running below full capacity, a total of 4,681.6MW is unavailable to the grid, the NGCP said.A red alert status is issued when power supply is insufficient to meet consumer demand and the transmission grid’s regulating requirement, the company said. A yellow alert is issued when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid’s contingency requirement, it added.Aside from Meralco, NGCP said several other power distributors may implement manual load dropping until 5 p.m., namely: ABRECO (whole province of Abra)PENELCO (parts of Bataan)BATELEC II (parts of Batangas)ALECO (parts of Albay)CANORECO (parts of Camarines Norte) “Schedule may be cancelled if system condition improves, such as if actual demand falls below projections,” NGCP said. The Visayas grid had also been placed on Red and Yellow Alert earlier today. The Department of Energy said it has ordered the NGCP to immediately resolve transmission constraints affecting the dispatch of large power plants.According to the DOE, the 500 kV Tayabas-Ilijan and Dasmariñas-Ilijan Transmission Lines tripped at 6:30 a.m. today, causing the disconnection to the grid of the Ilijan 1&amp; 2 (1,200 MW) and EERI Units 1,2, &amp; 3 (1,262.1 MW). The Masinloc Unit 3, which generates 325 MW, also went on forced outage. Energy Secretary Sharon Garin has ordered the NGCP to provide details of the incidents, particularly the transmission outages. San Miguel Power Group Corporation was also told to immediately restore Masinloc Unit 3.  &quot;On both the transmission side and the generation side, our directive is the same: restore normal conditions as quickly as possible and protect Filipino consumers from prolonged supply disruptions.&quot; The DOE said it has also coordinated with distribution utilities to activate the Interruptible Load Program if needed. When the ILP is implemented, large power consumers like malls, office buildings, and other commercial establishments voluntarily turn on their generators and offload from the grid so that more power is available to households.  In the Luzon grid, Meralco has advised that load dropping in its franchise area can be avoided once the ILP is deployed, the DOE said.The Philippines often experiences power outages during the hot and dry months of April and May when electricity demand surges as electric fans and air conditioning units get used more often.

The power distributor said this means some areas will experience two-hour long rotating brownouts starting 3:24 p.m.

The power distributor said this means some areas will experience two-hour long rotating brownouts starting 3:24 p.m.

Meralco implements rotating brownouts as Luzon grid goes on Red Alert; other regions also affected

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Business

Meralco implements rotating brownouts as Luzon grid goes on Red Alert; other regions also affected

Arthur Fuentes,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 13, 2026 04:21 PM PHT

|

Updated May 13, 2026 05:04 PM PHT

Read More:

Meralco

Red Alert

Yellow Alert

Luzon grid

rotating brownouts

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

Sign Up

I have read and agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.