ILOILO – To prevent another blackout on Panay Island, Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. is appealing to Congress for support in enhancing grid management and accelerating the completion of the Cebu-Negros-Panay (CNP3) project.
Defensor, scheduled to appear as a resource person at the Senate and House of Representatives hearings on last week’s prolonged blackout on Jan. 10 and 11, respectively, also plans to request the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to immediately implement two key measures aimed at preventing power blackouts.
Defensor said the NGCP must perfect the management of the electrical grid and address related concerns.
He emphasized the urgency of this improvement, recalling blackouts that occurred on April 27 and 28, 2023, and several subsequent months.
Defensor pointed out that the current weakness of the grid, due to the incomplete CNP3 project, makes it susceptible to similar incidents.
He likened the grid to a person, suggesting that without a strong “backbone” — in this case, a fully functional CNP3 — it remains vulnerable.
CNP3 involves constructing a 238-kilometer long, 230kV capacity transmission line linking Cebu, Negros and Panay. This includes laying an overhead line from Bacolod City to San Carlos City and then a submarine cable from San Carlos City to Toledo City, Cebu.
The project also includes expanding the Barotac Viejo substation, the E.B Magalona cable terminal station, and the Bacolod substation.
Defensor said the grid must be physically robust to handle any issues and that management should be competent enough to maintain stability.
Aside from this, Defensor is also considering legal recourse to address the damages caused by last week’s blackout.
He is exploring other options, such as reviewing the Civil Law, examining the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001, and other related laws concerning NGCP’s franchise./PN
