THREE years is a dangerously short period in the energy sector. The Department of Energy’s (DOE) warning that Panay Island could face a baseload power shortage by 2029 is therefore an urgent deadline for action.
Power plants, transmission lines, substations and interconnection projects cannot be built overnight. They require financing, permits, land acquisition, environmental clearances, construction and extensive testing. If government and industry wait until shortages begin, Panay will already be too late.
The proposed Panay Energy Masterplan promises an integrated roadmap for power generation, transmission, distribution and energy efficiency. More importantly, it recognizes that Panay’s energy problem cannot be solved through isolated projects and temporary responses.
But a master plan is useful only if it produces completed projects before the crisis arrives.
Panay’s vulnerability is rooted in geography and infrastructure. The island sits at the far end of the Visayas transmission network and is not yet connected to Mindoro and Luzon. This limits its ability to obtain electricity from other grids whenever local plants fail, transmission facilities are damaged or supply becomes inadequate.
Ilonggos know what this vulnerability feels like. Major grid disturbances have repeatedly plunged Iloilo and neighboring provinces into darkness, disrupting businesses, hospitals, schools, government services and household life. Every outage reminds us that Panay’s economy is growing faster than the reliability of the system powering it.
Iloilo City is attracting business-process outsourcing firms, real estate investments, tourism establishments and major commercial developments. Industries across Panay are also expanding, while households increasingly depend on electricity for work, education, communication and basic comfort. These gains could be undermined if investors begin associating the island with unstable or insufficient power.
Energy security, therefore, goes beyond keeping light bulbs on. It protects jobs, investments, public services and Panay’s entire development momentum.
DOE’s initial study indicates that additional baseload capacity may be needed by 2029. The timely operation of Unit 3 of Panay Energy Development Corp.’s plant in La Paz, Iloilo City, could help provide that capacity. But the island’s future must not depend excessively on the completion or reliability of a single facility.
Panay needs a balanced energy portfolio combining dependable baseload generation, renewable energy, battery storage and stronger transmission links. Renewable energy already accounts for 53.1 percent of the Visayas generation mix, according to DOE itself, while coal supplies 33.1 percent and oil-based facilities contribute 13.8 percent. The challenge is to expand cleaner energy sources without sacrificing grid stability and supply adequacy.
The master plan must also confront delays that have long plagued infrastructure projects. Permitting problems, land disputes, slow regulatory action and weak coordination among agencies can turn urgent projects into endless paperwork. Government cannot warn of a 2029 shortage while allowing essential facilities to remain trapped in bureaucratic limbo.
DOE should establish definite targets, responsible agencies, funding requirements and public progress reports. Panay’s governors, mayors, distribution utilities, business groups, consumer organizations, power producers and the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines must be involved from the beginning.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, herself an Ilongga, has a special responsibility to ensure that the plan does not remain a collection of technical recommendations. Her connection to Panay gives her firsthand appreciation of the island’s needs, but it also raises public expectations for concrete and timely results.
The proposed capacity to operate Panay in “island mode” during disconnection from other sub-grids is especially important. If properly developed, Panay could maintain essential electricity services during disasters and major grid failures — and potentially assist neighboring sub-grids during emergencies.
That is the level of resilience the island deserves.
The 2029 warning is a chance to prevent a crisis instead of merely reacting to one. Panay has been warned early enough. The question now is whether the government and the energy sector will act early enough.
