Senator Christopher "Bong" Go strongly urged the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to collaborate on a lasting solution in response to the reported extensive power outage in Western Visayas.
On Thursday, 4 January, Go expressed deep concern and disappointment over the extensive power outages in Western Visayas, emphasizing the severe impact on daily life. The Senator emphasized the critical impact on healthcare, education, and businesses during power outages while highlighting the government's role in easing citizens' hardships during these situations.
"Nakakalungkot at nakakadismaya ang malawakang kawalan ng kuryente sa buong Western Visayas. Hindi lang ang pang-araw-araw na kalagayan ng kabuhayan ng mga kababayan natin ang apektado, kundi lalo na 'yung mga ordinaryo at mahihirap na mga Ilonggo na walang kapasidad bumili ng sariling generator, ang pinaka-apektado rito," said Go.
He continued, "Also affected are our hospitals with all those critical medical equipment that potentially make the difference between life and death."
Nearly three hundred public schools in Panay Island alone have reportedly suspended their face-to-face classes. Business establishments have suffered huge losses due to damaged goods and non-operational equipment. All of these adversely affect the whole region's quality of life and productivity, cited Go.
As a member of the Senate Committee on Energy, Go said he finds these prolonged outages unacceptable. He urgently called on the DOE and the NGCP to collaborate and devise a lasting solution to prevent similar incidents in the future.
"Trabaho ng gobyerno ang ibigay ang nararapat na serbisyo at pagaanin ang dinadalang bigat at hirap sa buhay, lalo na ng mga pinakanangangailangan nating mga kababayan!" he urged.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri also earlier expressed frustration over the ongoing power outages, particularly in Iloilo. He insisted that the DOE and NGCP urgently resolve this issue to avoid causing irreparable harm to the communities.
Zubiri also called for transparency from the DOE and NGCP in identifying the causes of these outages and developing a comprehensive plan to resolve them. He affirmed the Senate's readiness to investigate the root causes of the problem to find a solution.
The prolonged power outage resulted in the suspension of face-to-face classes in 284 public schools across Panay Island. The Department of Education coordinated with school officials to ensure continuous learning despite the disruptions.
The local business community, notably the Iloilo Economic Development Foundation, has raised concerns about the outage's adverse effects on operations and has called for an investigation and infrastructure improvements.
The NGCP attributes the outage to multiple plant trippings and highlights the need for better energy resource management. The DOE welcomed the call for an investigation into the power outage that affected Panay Island.
