• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
House Deputy Speaker and Bacolod City Lone District Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez is pushing for the grant of emergency powers to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to fast-track measures addressing the recurring power shortages, generation shortfalls, and red and yellow alerts in the Visayas.
Benitez raised the proposal during a joint congressional hearing in Bacolod City on Saturday, Oct. 3, as lawmakers, energy officials and other stakeholders assessed the region’s worsening power situation.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin backed the proposal, saying emergency powers could shorten the time needed to address regulatory, permitting and right-of-way requirements for energy projects.
“Power plants, it takes three to five years to build,” Garin said, adding that emergency powers could help accelerate the processes needed for generation, transmission and distribution projects.
She said the earliest long-term solutions could be delivered by the end of 2028, but the timeline could be shortened through faster government action.
“It will help Visayas, even distribution, transmission, generation to hasten its delivery,” Garin said.
Benitez said the immediate response to the crisis should be pursued separately from the longer-term debate over the type of baseload generation the Visayas should develop.
“We are just trying to fast-track and find a solution that can be executed and implemented faster,” Benitez said.
He added that the choice of baseload technology requires a separate and more extensive discussion with affected communities and stakeholders.
The proposed emergency powers would allow the government to accelerate projects and address bottlenecks involving permits, right-of-way and other requirements while enabling agencies and industry players to move more quickly on needed infrastructure.
Benitez, who filed House Resolution No. 1429 seeking a congressional inquiry into the Visayas power situation, said the immediate crisis must be addressed alongside reforms aimed at making the energy system more balanced, competitive and resilient.
“The Visayas deserves the right power, in the right place, at the right time – delivered reliably and procured at the right, competitive, and transparent price,” he said.
Moreover, Garin said the near-term response also includes bringing in power barges and adding solar-plus-battery capacity, with some projects expected to come online this year and others in the first quarter of 2027.
These measures, she added, are intended to remove the immediate red and yellow alerts while the government works on medium- and long-term solutions for energy security. | GPB
