There is no artificial power crisis in the country on the back of the daily red and yellow alerts declared on Luzon and Visayas grids, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assured the public on Monday.

Marcos attributed the situation to overloaded power systems and the current hot weather caused by the El Niño phenomenon.

“No, it definitely is not an artificial crisis. Our consumption suddenly increased significantly, especially because it has been very hot,” Marcos told reporters in Cotabato City.

The President maintained the government is closely monitoring the situation and actively addressing issues with the power systems. He added the government has plans to prevent further increases in electricity prices.

Marcos pointed to the need for improved infrastructure to manage power distribution more effectively.

“We keep telling the NGCP (National Grid Corporation of the Philippines) to start building their long-awaited transmission lines and the submarine cables,” he said.

“So that if there is excess electricity in one area, it can be transferred to another area that is lacking,” he added.

The President acknowledged that the infrastructure projects had been neglected in the past, but vowed to bring them back on track.

He reiterated the government’s commitment to monitoring the power supply and prices, while endorsing NGCP programs to expand transmission line coverage nationwide.