The chairman of the Senate finance committee has called on energy regulators and industry players to urgently address the recurring power interruptions affecting communities across the country, warning that repeated outages are disrupting businesses, schools, households and critical health needs.
He urged the Department of Energy (DOE), the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to provide clear explanations and immediate solutions following red and yellow alerts in the Luzon and Visayas grids.
“Nagpapatupad na nga ng four-day work week ang maraming sangay ng gobyerno dahil sa tensyon sa Gitnang Silangan, pero nagba-brownout pa rin sa iba’t ibang panig ng bansa. Hindi ito katanggap-tanggap,” according to Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, the Senate Finance committee chair and also the PROTECT (Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis Strategy) Committee.
The NGCP has declared grid alerts in recent days due to the simultaneous forced outages of several power plants, raising concerns over the reliability of the country’s power supply.
The solon said generation companies should be held accountable if recurring plant outages are the main cause of the supply shortfall.
“If recurring plant outages are driving the problem, generation companies must be made to answer. The ERC should enforce compliance with performance standards and take action against erring plants,” he emphasized.
The senator warned that even short power interruptions can have serious consequences, particularly for small businesses, students and patients who depend on electricity-powered medical equipment.
“Every hour of a brownout brings business operations to a standstill, disrupts the education of our youth, and paralyzes the daily lives of our communities,” Gatchalian said.
“Most critically, it puts at risk patients whose survival depends on electricity-powered medical equipment,” he added.
He also renewed his call for NGCP to strengthen grid management by securing sufficient ancillary services, which help stabilize the power system and prevent disruptions during periods of high demand.
He said the country cannot afford to treat recurring outages as routine, especially as households and businesses already face pressure from rising costs and broader economic uncertainty.
“Hindi pwedeng paulit-ulit na lang ang ganitong sitwasyon. Kailangan ng malinaw na paliwanag, agarang aksyon, at pananagutan mula sa mga awtoridad,” the lawmaker said.