Senator Grace Poe has sought an inquiry into the power interruption plaguing Panay Island for years to identify measures that would ensure continuous supply to consumers.
In filing Senate Resolution No. 579, Poe said it is time to put in place a long-term solution to the power woes which have been severely impacting on the daily lives of residents and economic activities in the region.
“Recurring power interruptions and massive blackouts should not be a way of life for our people in Panay Island,” the chairperson of the Senate committee on public services said.
“Concerned agencies must get a handle on the problem to end the intolerable suffering of the residents.”
“Concerned agencies must get a handle on the problem to end the intolerable suffering of the residents,” the veteran legislator added.
The seasoned lawmaker stressed the need to determine the root cause of the grid disturbances reported by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) allegedly due to the tripping of distribution utilities (DUs).
At the same time, the inquiry should delve into the position of electric cooperatives in Panay and Negros pointing to the NGCP as the cause of the problem.
An electric cooperative cited a voltage fluctuation and frequency imbalance in a line under the management of the NGCP.
“There is an urgent need to determine the root of these grid disturbances, implement remedial measures and determine who shall be held liable.”
“There is an urgent need to determine the root of these grid disturbances, implement remedial measures and determine who shall be held liable to finally put an end to the blame-shifting between NGCP and the DUs, and ascertain possible franchise violations,” the seasoned lawmaker said.
“There is also a need to look into the long-term solutions to the power interruptions and outages within the backdrop of the ‘thin’ supply of power in the Visayas grid,” she added.
