5-1-2024 (MANILA) The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), a power grid operator partly owned by China’s State Grid Corp, is under fire for its alleged failure to prevent a prolonged power outage that left millions of Filipinos without electricity for several days.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr expressed his dismay on Friday, stating that the situation “caused significant hardship to our people, crippling businesses, compromising livelihoods, and endangering those in need of healthcare.”
Affected areas, including Panay Island and parts of Western Visayas in the central Philippines, finally had their power supply fully restored on Friday.
China’s State Grid holds a 40% stake in the NGCP, having won a 25-year concession in 2007 to operate the country’s sole power transmission operator along with other investors. The remaining 60% is held by Filipino investors, including Synergy Grid & Development Phils Inc., led by Henry Sy Jr., a member of the country’s wealthiest family, and insurance industry tycoon Robert Coyiuto Jr.
President Marcos, in a video message posted on social media platforms, accused the NGCP of failing to implement manual load dropping, also known as rotational brownouts, which contributed to the power crisis. However, the transmission company denied these allegations.
“The NGCP bears the responsibility. They are entrusted with grid stability, which includes proactive responses to breakdowns and unexpected events, a duty that the NGCP, unfortunately, has not adequately fulfilled,” Marcos stated.
In response, the NGCP released a statement on Friday, attributing the problem to unplanned shutdowns of power generators.
“We vehemently reject allegations suggesting that the NGCP failed in its obligation to stabilize the transmission system. We also take exception to the accusations that we were not transparent in providing information to the public,” the NGCP asserted.
