Power transmission system provider NGCP formally assumed ownership, operation, and maintenance of the Caticlan-Unidos 69kV Line – an asset long beset by operational issues – following a directive from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
The transition allows NGCP to immediately implement corrective measures to improve the condition of the line and enhance power reliability in the province.
The NGCP is currently addressing the recurring outages on the overhead bypass line built as a temporary fix to the damaged 69kV line formerly managed by the Aklan Electric Cooperative (Akelco) near the Caticlan Airport.
Investigations identified water wave splash and salt spray corrosion as the primary causes of recent failures. To avoid such water wave splash and salt spray, the NGCP constructed an adjusted bypass line away from the seashore which will be energized this month.
“We fully recognize the challenges associated with the condition of the inherited asset, underscored by the brownouts experienced earlier this month,” the NGCP said in a statement Dec. 19. “With the line now under NGCP, we are mobilizing our full technical and financial resources to implement immediate, medium-term, and long-term solutions. Our teams are working around the clock to ensure reliable power for the province.”
A full reconductoring of the affected transmission line will also be undertaken. Due to the absence of available spare materials from Akelco, NGCP already procured the required materials and targets the completion of the activity by March 2026.
The transition in the line’s ownership stems from an ERC decision issued in November 2024 which reclassified the Caticlan-Unidos 69kV line from a sub-transmission asset to a transmission facility. This means that upon the completion of the Nabas-Caticlan-Boracay 138kV Line, the existing 69kV line will also have a transmission function and will be transferred to NGCP.
Urgency escalated in September after the 69kV cable was damaged. During the meeting called by the DOE and attended by Akelco, NGCP, and ERC, the electric cooperative, which uses and maintains the line, subsequently acknowledged its inability to finance the required repairs.
In response, the ERC issued an order in October directing NGCP to immediately take over the asset to safeguard reliable electricity delivery in the province.
Even prior to a formal turnover, NGCP already flagged potential risks. As early as January 2025, NGCP detected corrosion on the NGCP-maintained Nabas-Caticlan portion of the transmission facility, and informed Akelco of the matter. Remedial works were immediately undertaken on NGCP’s assets.
Following a Joint Due Diligence Inspection conducted by TransCo, NGCP, and Akelco in October 2025, a Certificate of Turnover was signed Nov. 21. The NGCP has yet to issue a Certificate of Acceptance due to reservations, citing lines and poles for replacement, and lack of ROW documents. The vulnerability of the infrastructure became evident shortly after turnover, leading to the power interruptions recorded early this December.
Apart from the repair of the 69kV facility, NGCP is also expediting the completion of the Nabas-Caticlan-Boracay 138kV Transmission Line project, which will improve the reliability and stability of power transmission in the area with the construction of a new backbone line.
The project, which was being pursued by the NGCP as early as 2019, is targeted for completion by August 2026, following numerous external delays which the ERC recognized and found reasonable.
While not a direct solution, the new 138kV line will provide looping and an alternative line route which will further strengthen the reliability of the system, the NGCP said. ||
