BACOLOD City — Government officials, power industry leaders, regulators, business stakeholders, and members of the media gathered on July 13 at the SMX Convention Center in this city for the Visayas Power Forum to discuss the region’s power supply challenges, grid reliability, and rising electricity costs.
The half-day forum was organized by Primelectric Holdings Inc., the parent company of MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power), Negros Electric and Power Corporation (Negros Power), and Bohol Light Company.
The event served as a platform for evidence-based discussions on the current state of the Visayas power sector, with experts explaining the factors behind recurring power alerts, increasing electricity prices, and measures being undertaken to improve supply reliability.
Neil V. Parcon, Primelectric vice president for Corporate Energy Sourcing and Commercial Regulatory Affairs, opened the forum by presenting the company’s initiatives and the objectives of the event.
Among the resource speakers were Joseph Ladrido of the Institute of Contemporary Economics, who discussed the economic impact of market price volatility and marginal losses; Engr. Robinson Descanzo, president and chief executive officer of the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP), who presented the Visayas power situation and system outlook; Department of Energy-Electric Power Industry Management Bureau (DOE-EPIMB) Director Luningning Baltazar, who joined virtually to explain the causes of Yellow and Red Alerts and the government’s initiatives to address supply gaps; and Antonette Badillo of the Energy Regulatory Commission’s Market Operations Service, who outlined regulatory measures to cushion consumers from rising electricity costs.
During the forum, Descanzo said electricity supply and demand in the Visayas became significantly tighter during the second quarter of 2026.
Average electricity demand increased to 2,166 megawatts (MW) in June from 1,861 MW in January, while available supply declined to 2,183 MW, reducing the region’s supply margin to just 137 MW—the lowest recorded during the first half of the year.
Energy demand also rose by more than two percent compared with the same period in 2025, with Negros recording the highest increase in electricity consumption at 7.1 percent, followed by Bohol (5.4%), Leyte (3.1%), and Cebu (1.9%).
Descanzo attributed the tighter supply to prolonged outages of major power plants, transmission constraints, and limited imported electricity. These conditions, he said, required greater power transfers across the Visayas grid and resulted in frequent manual load dropping, tighter operating reserves, and recurring Yellow and Red Alert declarations.
He added that the constrained supply significantly drove up prices in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).
The average WESM price increased from P4.24 per kilowatt-hour in January to P14.46 per kilowatt-hour in June after peak demand reached 2,770 MW in May, requiring the dispatch of more expensive oil-fired power plants.
Despite projections that the Visayas will have an average generating capacity of 2,423 MW against an average demand of 2,051 MW for the remainder of 2026, IEMOP warned that prolonged power plant outages, transmission limitations, and higher fuel costs could keep electricity prices elevated, with WESM prices potentially exceeding P10 per kilowatt-hour during periods of tight supply.
Meanwhile, Negros Power Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Engr. Joe-Mel Zaporteza emphasized the importance of collaboration in addressing the region’s energy challenges.
“We have to come together to solve the challenges we are facing today, especially the high cost of electricity,” Zaporteza said.
He said Negros Power continues to invest in system upgrades and infrastructure improvements to provide consumers with more reliable electricity service at a reasonable cost.
“A win for the economy of Bacolod is also a win for us as a distribution utility serving Bacolod and its adjoining cities,” Zaporteza added.
