Makabayan lawmakers on Monday, May 15 filed a resolution that urges House Committee on Energy to investigate the recent power outages that hit severly hit some areas in the country.
In House Resolution No. 971, ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro, Gabriela Partylist Rep. Arlene Brosas, and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Manuel pointed out that massive brownout still occurred despite the Department of Energy (DOE) vowed earlier this March that "there will be no power interruption" during extreme hot summer season.
"According to DOE USec. Rowena Guevarra, they projected that there will be enough electricity supply and no further increase in power consumption. At the most, the Luzon Grid will experience yellow alerts for most of April and May," they said, adding that generators were also promised to be augmented in case of emergency shutdowns.
Last May 8, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) placed Luzon Grid under a red alert, from 1 pm to 4 pm while a yellow alert had been issued from 6 pm to 8 pm.
The alerts were issued after five powerplants forced shut down while three others derated of capacity.
The three Makabayan solons underscored that the power situation in the country "did not improve" ever since the Republic Act 9136 or also known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA) — a law that guarantees affordable, more accessible, and reliable electricity — was enacted.
"Every year, yellow and red alerts are declared during summer season allegedly due to forced and unplanned outages and maintenance of generation plants, which will later are used as the basis to further increase electricity rates and charges," they stressed.
"While the private companies earn billions of profit, the Filipino people are suffering from high cost of electricity rates, and rotational and unplanned power outages," the lawmakers added.
According to Castro, Brosas, and Manuel, it is "high time" for the lower chamber to review and introduce amendments to the EPIRA law.
