• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod has passed a resolution expressing support to the call of House deputy speaker and Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Benitez for a congressional inquiry into the recurring power disruptions, rotational brownouts, and red/yellow alerts affecting Negros Island and the Visayas region.
Proponent-councilor Caesar Distrito said Sept. 10 that repeated power interruptions disrupted operations across households, commercial enterprises, health facilities, schools, and government offices throughout Bacolod and the Visayas.
He said that an unreliable power supply places an economic and operational burden on consumers, including businesses, due to lost productivity, potential equipment damage, and additional expenditures required to run alternative power sources, such as diesel generators.
“There should be short term, medium term, and long-term plans; for example, there should be a generation capacity, they should look for sources of electricity for Visayas, they should also have a battery energy sent to Visayas, at least, to somehow enable us to survive the recurring brownouts,” Distrito told reporters.
The resolution calls for a detailed examination of the Visayas grid’s overall capacity, specifically focusing on generation plants’ shutdowns, the adequacy of reserve power and ancillary services, transmission constraints, and the status of pending generation and infrastructure projects.
The resolution urges the House committees on Visayas Development, and on Energy, as well as other relevant congressional committees to conduct formal hearings to investigate the root causes of supply deficiencies, and explore legislative measures toward establishing a reliable and affordable electricity supply. | TMD
