ILOILO City — As recurring rotational brownouts continue to hit Panay Island consumers while key players in the power sector point fingers at one another, a consumer advocacy group has demanded clear accountability from power generators, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), distribution utilities and government regulators.
Panay Energy Alliance (PEA) raised the alarm after 21 power plants went on forced outage and 12 others were derated as of Aug. 31, rendering approximately 981.9 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity unavailable in the Visayas Grid.
“What we are seeing is a familiar pattern of fragmented accountability. Distribution utilities point to NGCP and the problems in transmission. NGCP points to insufficient generation. Generation companies point to equipment failures and plant outages,” PEA convenor Reynaldo Magbanua said.
“In the end, however, it is consumers who lose electricity, suffer from disrupted livelihoods and businesses, absorb the economic losses, and continue paying their electricity bills,” he added.
NGCP reported only 2,059 MW of available capacity against a peak demand of 2,305 MW in the Visayas Grid on Aug. 31.
The resulting supply deficit forced the implementation of Manual Load Dropping (MLD), or rotational brownouts, to maintain grid stability and avert a potentially wider blackout.
But PEA said repeatedly attributing the power interruptions to “limited generation” does not adequately explain why the Visayas power system continues to reach a point where rotational brownouts become necessary.
“Consumers should not be left with a generic explanation of ‘limited generation.’ They deserve to know whether these outages are due to equipment failures, maintenance problems, fuel issues, delayed repairs, operational problems, or other causes,” Magbanua said.
CAPACITY EXISTS ON PAPER
PEA, a public-interest network launched on August 22 to advocate for reliable, affordable, sustainable and publicly accountable electricity for the people of Panay, stands that rotational brownouts cannot become the normal solution to recurring weaknesses in the power system.
It questioned why supply shortages persist despite substantial installed generating capacity across the Visayas.
Based on 2026 data from the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP), PEA said Panay, Negros, Cebu, Leyte and Bohol have a combined installed generation capacity of 3,936 MW against combined peak demand of about 2,609 MW — a theoretical margin of 1,327 MW.
Panay has 691 MW of installed capacity against peak demand of 473 MW, giving it a theoretical margin of 218 MW.
Negros has 1,034 MW against peak demand of 468 MW; Cebu, 1,110 MW against 1,132 MW; Leyte, 959 MW against 394 MW; and Bohol, 142 MW against 142 MW.
Yet a significant portion of the region’s generating capacity was unavailable when demand peaked, said PEA convenor Irma Espinosa.
According to NGCP figures cited by PEA, the 21 generating plants on forced outage and 12 derated plants accounted for approximately 981.9 MW of unavailable capacity on Aug. 31. Among the major unavailable generating facilities were Units 1 and 2 of Therma Visayas Inc. in Cebu.
“Why are these generating units unavailable? How long will they remain unavailable? When will their capacity be restored? And why are multiple generating units becoming unavailable or operating below their rated capacity at the same time?” Espinosa asked.
PEA stressed that simply building additional power plants would not necessarily solve the problem if existing generating facilities cannot reliably supply electricity when needed.
“The current crisis cannot be addressed simply by saying that the country needs more power plants. We must also examine whether existing generation is reliable and available, and whether sufficient reserves are maintained,” Espinosa said.
She said transmission reliability must likewise be scrutinized because available generating capacity cannot benefit consumers if electricity cannot be delivered where it is needed across the grid.
“If the Visayas has substantial generation capacity on paper, then consumers have every right to ask why shortages continue to occur and why the system remains vulnerable during periods of high demand or multiple generating-unit outages,” Espinosa said.
WHO ANSWERS FOR BROWNOUTS?
PEA demanded accountability across the entire electricity supply chain.
Generation companies, it said, must explain prolonged and simultaneous plant outages and provide definite timelines for restoring capacity.
NGCP must account for transmission constraints, reserve levels and the circumstances that require MLD, while distribution utilities must ensure fair rotation of outages, proper communication with consumers and timely restoration.
“There must be clear accountability at every level,” Magbanua said.
The alliance also said the Department of Energy must account for generation and transmission planning, while the Energy Regulatory Commission should ensure compliance with reliability standards and other regulatory obligations.
PEA called for full disclosure of the causes and status of generation outages, derated units, available reserves, transmission constraints, expected restoration timelines and measures being taken to prevent another round of rotational brownouts.
It is also pushing for an independent investigation into recurring power disruptions, stronger public regulation and accountability, and greater participation by consumers and local governments in decisions affecting the electricity system.
PEA said rotational brownouts must not become the power industry’s normal response to recurring weaknesses in the system.
The alliance also called for a serious review of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), arguing that after more than two decades of privatization and liberalization, Filipino consumers continue to contend with high electricity costs, recurring supply problems, fragmented accountability and unreliable service.
“Electricity is not a luxury for those exempted from rotational brownouts. It is a public necessity that should be reliable at all times,” Espinosa said. (Rex J. Maestrecampo/PN)
