RDC-7 declares power emergency

The Regional Development Council in Central Visayas (RDC-7) on Saturday declared a State of Power Emergency in the region amid recurring rotational brownouts and repeated Yellow and Red Alerts across the Visayas Grid.

The proposed declaration seeks to fast-track immediate and short-term measures to address the power shortage, expedite the construction and expansion of power-generation facilities, and accelerate priority transmission and substation projects of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) in the Visayas.

The declaration will require formal action by the Office of the President upon the recommendation of the Department of Energy (DoE).

The Visayas Grid recorded more than 120 Yellow and Red Alerts from January to September 2026, attributed to unavailable or derated generating units and limited power imports.

The emergency declaration is also intended to accelerate new power-generation projects, expand existing power plants, speed up NGCP transmission and substation projects, expedite government measures to address the immediate supply shortage, and encourage private investment in additional generation capacity.

For Cebu and Bohol, reliable electricity is particularly critical as power disruptions affect manufacturing, business process outsourcing, tourism, hospitals, commercial establishments and households.

Repeated brownouts can result in production losses, service disruptions, equipment damage and higher operating costs.

Cebu Province is also exploring measures to address the power shortage, including the installation of solar panels at barangay centers as part of the services that barangay officials may avail of.