Coal reliance burdens Visayas grid, groups call for Garin’s resignation

Local

THE Visayas’ continued dependence on coal-fired power plants has come under scrutiny as cause-oriented groups called for Energy Secretary Sharon Garin’s resignation over the region’s prolonged power crisis.

The organizations, under the Power for People Coalition (P4P), said recurring generation outages, rotational brownouts, and rising electricity costs reflect weaknesses in the country’s energy system, six months after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a national energy emergency on March 24.

Caritas Philippines President and San Carlos Bishop Gerry Alminaza called on the government to uphold accountability in the power sector, emphasizing the need for reliable electricity and genuine public service.

“The government has yet to respond to that call. They must fulfill their mandate of genuine public service through affordable, clean, and community-centered energy, and through upholding accountability,” Alminaza said.

Since May, the Visayas grid has recorded 43 red alerts and 107 yellow alerts, highlighting continued supply challenges.

P4P campaigner Krishna Ariola said the Department of Energy’s response had failed to provide lasting relief to communities and businesses affected by the disruptions.

“Ang solusyon po dito ay hindi ang pagtayo ng mas marami pang problematikong mga planta,” Ariola said. “Ang solusyon po ay ang pag-ayos ng sistema natin sa kuryente.”

The groups also urged authorities to investigate generating companies over possible fraud and market manipulation, including whether plant outages contribute to higher electricity prices.

Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino President Luke Espiritu questioned why generating companies were not being held accountable when they failed to deliver contracted electricity, requiring distribution utilities to purchase replacement power from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, where prices may be higher.

He also alleged that some companies operating plants affected by outages have affiliates selling electricity through the spot market.(RBE)