MANILA – In his third State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. highlighted two major infrastructure projects poised to transform the energy and agricultural sectors in Western Visayas.
The completion of the Cebu-Negros-Panay (CNP) backbone project and the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project-Stage II (JRMP-II) mega dam in Calinog, Iloilo were presented as crucial developments in ensuring regional stability and growth.
Cebu-Negros-Panay Backbone Project: Averting Power Outages
The recently completed CNP backbone project has played a critical role in preventing power outages on Panay Island, particularly noted during a period from April to June when other parts of the country faced significant power shortages.
“This project has successfully averted blackouts in Panay Island during critical periods of yellow and red alerts in the region,” said President Marcos.
The P67.9-billion project enhances the power transmission reliability across the islands of Cebu, Negros, and Panay, facilitating energy transfers and accommodating new power plant developments in the Visayas grid.
President Marcos said the transmission line is “one of the critical achievements” of his administration since he was able to fulfill the vision of a unified Philippine grid that was conceived in the 1980s.
“Energy sharing and transfers between, among, and within the three island groups have now been made possible,” President Marcos said. “This is a defining moment not only for the power sector but for the entire country.”
In April, the President led the ceremonial energization of the CNP 230-kV Backbone Project in Bacolod City, a project that he described then as “a big step” to address the power supply problems plaguing most especially Panay Island.
The P67.9-billion CNP 230-kV Backbone Project, composed of CNP1, CNP2, CNP3 and Negros-Panay Interconnection Project Line 2 (NPIP L2), is intended to strengthen the grid and improve the reliability of power transmission in the islands of Cebu, Negros and Panay.
It involved the construction of a high-voltage transmission line and associated substations to connect the islands of Cebu, Negros, and Panay.
The energized CPN project will allow the increased transfer capacity among Cebu, Negros, and Panay islands and the dispatch of excess capacities from Mindanao to meet the demand in the Visayas grid.
It will also accommodate the development of new power plants in the Visayas grid.
Jalaur River Multipurpose Project-Stage II: Ensuring Water Security
Meanwhile, the JRMP-II mega dam project represents a significant leap toward securing water resources for agriculture and local communities.
“With the Jalaur project, nearly 32,000 hectares of land will be irrigated, ensuring water security, especially in underserved areas,” Marcos emphasized.
This P20-billion initiative not only supports irrigation over 31,840 hectares benefitting around 25,000 farmers but also contributes to the energy sector by generating 6.6 megawatts of hydroelectric power.
The project, currently 75.51 percent complete, is expected to be operational by the end of 2025.
The July 16 inauguration by the President of the JRMP II water reservoir project, the largest outside Luzon, is a full-circle moment for the Marcos administration, taking place more than 40 years after the completion of its first stage in 1982, during the time of the President’s father, the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.
JRMP II has three key components: irrigation development, environmental and watershed management, and institutional development.
A portion of the water from the high dam’s reservoir will be utilized to supply the commercial and industrial bulk water requirements of Iloilo City and nearby municipalities.
The project is also expected to generate 6.6 megawatts of hydroelectric power, which will help supplement the power supply on the Island of Panay./PN
