Tulfo: NGCP failure to prevent massive Panay blackout ground/s for franchise termination

Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo berated the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) for its repeated failure to maintain the stability of the grid that led to the recent massive power outage in Panay Island. He is irked that this occurrence happened second time in a row after the system disturbances in the Panay and Negros Sub-grids from April 27-29, 2023.

Tulfo, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Energy, stressed that the rampant failure of NGCP to do its obligation in operating, maintaining, and developing the country's power grid is sufficient ground/s to warrant the review and eventual termination of its existing franchise.

"Panahon na para mas mapabilis ang pagrerebisa at agarang pagtanggal ng prangkisa ng NGCP. Mahigit isang dekada at kalahati nang nagsasakripisyo ang taumbayan sa mga kapalpakan nila. Enough is enough!" he said.

Tulfo added that NGCP should have already learned from the system disturbance that happened in April last year in the Panay and Negros Sub-grids and resolved things differently and better this time around.

As part of his consistent and 24/7 monitoring of the Panay energy crisis, Tulfo contacted NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda today to ask for updates about said issue. The Administrator gave the Senator a copy of the report he submitted to President Bongbong Marcos regarding the incident.

In said report, Almeda noted that the cause of the incident "may potentially be attributed to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) being unable to provide the necessary ancillary power support when the first unit of Panay Energy Development Corp's (PEDC) power plant tripped at 12:06 PM on January 2, 2024" due to a boiler feed pump issue.

The report likewise noted that subsequently, at approximately 2:19 PM on the same day, all other power plants in the Panay Islands simultaneously tripped, leading to the shutdown of multiple substations operated by affected electric cooperatives.

According to Almeda, the lack of ancillary power support from NGCP could have triggered the cascading tripping of the remaining power plants in the Panay Islands thus leading to further blackouts.

Almeda however assured the Senator that immediate action is already being conducted to address the problem and that power in Panay Island is expected to be fully restored by midnight.

The Senator from Isabela and Davao also contacted and is now in full coordination with the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) which are both continuously coordinating with the NGCP and the affected power plants.

Tulfo added that the continued inefficiencies and failure to comply with its obligations mandated by its franchise of NGCP strengthens his firm resolve to review its franchise which he already investigated through a Senate Resolution last year.

The continuation of hearing of said resolution seeking to investigate all the lapses of NGCP which could be grounds for the termination of its franchise is set on Jan. 10, 2024.

Tulfo: NGCP dapat matanggalan ng prangkisa dahil sa kapalpakan sa Panay energy crisis

Enero 5, 2024 -- Kapapasok pa lamang ng bagong taon pero kalbaryo na agad ang dinaranas ng mga kababayan natin sa Panay Island dahil sa malawakang brownout sa lugar na bunga ng kapalpakan ng NGCP.

Mula January 2 hanggang ngayong araw ay patuloy pa rin ang problema sa kuryente sa Panay dahil hindi na-maintain ng NGCP ang stability ng grid na tungkulin dapat nito.

Nanggalaiti si Sen. Idol Raffy Tulfo sa NGCP dahil pangalawang beses nang nangyari ito. Matatandaan na noong April 27-29, 2023 ay nagkaroon na rin ng malawakang rotational brownout sa Panay at Negros dahil sa line fault o pagpalpak ng mga transmission lines ng NGCP.

Binigyang diin ni Sen. Idol na ang paulit-ulit na kapalpakan ng NGCP ay sapat ng ground/s para rebyuhin ang prangkisa nito.

"Panahon na para mas mapabilis ang pagrerebisa at agarang pagtanggal ng prangkisa ng NGCP. Mahigit isang dekada at kalahati nang nagsasakripisyo ang taumbayan sa mga kapalpakan nila. Enough is enough!" saad niya.

Dagdag pa ni Sen. Tulfo, natuto na sana ang NGCP sa malawakang brownout na nangyari noong nakaraang taon at hindi na dapat naulit pa ang ganitong problema.

Bilang Chairperson ng Senate Committee on Energy, tinawagan ni Sen. Idol si NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda ngayong araw para humingi ng update ukol sa problema sa Panay. Ibinigay ni Administrator kay Sen. Tulfo ang report na isinumite niya kay President Bongbong Marcos tungkol dito.

Sa nasabing ulat, sinabi ni Almeda na ang hindi paggamit ng NGCP ng ancillary power support ang dahilan kung bakit lumala at hindi naagapan ang malawakang blackout sa Panay Island.

Nakausap na rin ni Sen. Tulfo ang DOE at ERC na patuloy na nakamonitor sa mga planta at kaganapan sa Panay.

Ang pagpapatuloy ng hearing ukol sa resolusyon ni Sen. Idol na rebyuhin at tanggalan ng prangkisa ang NGCP ay naka-shedule na sa Miyerkules, Jan. 10.