The Energy Regulatory Commission, or ERC, said yesterday the tripping of multiple power plants that plunged Panay Island into darkness last Tuesday could have been avoided had the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines put fail-safe systems in place.

In particular, the ERC rapped the NGCP for failing to complete the Cebu-Negros-Panay Interconnection Project.

ERC chairperson and CEO Monalisa Dimalanta maintained that the NGCP should have had a protection system on top of sufficient ancillary power reserves so the grid could have continued operating despite unforeseen power plant shutdowns like what happened in Western Visayas.

Ensuring sufficient power reserves is one of the mandates of the NGCP to maintain the national grid's reliability, Dimalanta said, adding that the NGCP is also tasked with protecting the grid from intermittent power interruptions.

"There should be protection systems. These are actual equipment installed on the power plants' side to protect the integrity of the grid because NGCP's main function is to protect the integrity of the grid," she said.

"Our system operates on a central dispatch function. NGCP is our sole dispatcher of power; it tells the plants you go, or you don't go, at any time of the day. They are the conductor of all these plants that should be performing a symphony," she added.

Nonetheless, Dimalanta admitted that system and generation operations are a "tough job," requiring "joint responsibility in ensuring that protections should be in place" to maintain a complex energy landscape like the Philippines.

"Once we complete our investigation into what the NGCP and the generators can do better, we will get there. We will get to the point that we can tell stakeholders that this is what we need to do better in greater detail," she said.

On Tuesday, at least 452 megawatts of power were lost to the Visayas grid due to the tripping of power plants and maintenance shutdowns.

The slashed power supply immediately affected the customers of Iloilo-based distributor MORE Electric and Power Corp., three Iloilo electric cooperatives, and Guimaras Electric Cooperative Inc.

According to MORE Power, its entire franchise area experienced a total blackout at 3:07 p.m. on 2 January.

As of yesterday afternoon, almost half of its customers were still offline. It is implementing rotational loading every three hours due to the power supply deficiency.

It, however, said its president would not comment on the power crisis for now.

"We will release our official statement soon," MORE Power added.

NGCP admits fault

In a statement, the NGCP admitted that some of its transmission projects were behind schedule and vowed to complete the Cebu-Negros-Panay Interconnection by March.

The operator also called for "better energy resource planning" following the incident. "We emphasize the need for improved planning to ensure sufficient generation per island, with a well-balanced mix of fuels and technology," NGCP said.

Dimalanta, however, did not buy NGCP's "planning" statement, saying the recurring problem had more to do with execution.

"The Department of Energy has been updating the Philippine Energy Plan for this purpose, but I think this issue goes beyond planning because projects do not get completed on time. Execution — timely, efficient and prudent — is also, if not more, important," Dimalanta said.

Based on the latest reports from industry stakeholders, the power supply on the island is expected to start stabilizing today after a Palm Concepcion Power Corp., or PCPC, unit came online last night.

Congress probe sought

In the wake of the power outage, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas called on Congress to investigate the incident, with several senators agreeing to open a probe.

Treñas said the outage could have been an act of "economic sabotage" as it directly impacted residents and businesses in the provinces of Guimaras on Guimaras Island, Iloilo, Antique, Aklan and Capiz on Panay Island.

"We will not stand idly by while our fellow Filipinos suffer due to the negligence and lack of urgency in addressing this power crisis," Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said in a statement.

Zubiri said he is "absolutely incensed and dismayed" by the persistent power outages plaguing some provinces in Western Visayas, particularly Iloilo.

"This situation is no longer tolerable, and the Department of Energy and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines must urgently address this issue before irreparable damage is done to our communities," he said.

"Constant power interruptions have widespread effects on our communities, extending beyond mere inconvenience. They affect not only businesses, livelihood, and the delivery of basic services to the people, but they have dire and far-reaching consequences on the lives of citizens," he added.

Likewise, Senator Francis Escudero said he would support the call to investigate the NGCP's alleged negligence in the power outage in the Western Visayas.

For her part, Senator Grace Poe, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Services, said that someone should be held accountable for the power outages that have been occurring in Western Visayas.

"The blackout that happened in April last year in the island provinces should have been an eye-opener for the NGCP and the power utilities," Poe said in a separate statement.

"They should have been better prepared for any system disturbance and averted such with efficient planning and utilization of resources," she added. "Someone should be held accountable for the latest blackout that is  torturing the people."