NGCP Expects Tight Electricity Supply for Remainder of 2026

By Jun N. Aguirre

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has admitted that electricity supply in the Visayas will remain tight for the rest of 2026 due to rising demand and limited available reserves.

Over the past several weeks, the NGCP has placed the Visayas Grid under Red Alert on multiple occasions after operating reserves fell below the minimum level required to maintain a stable power system. The alerts were triggered by a combination of forced power plant outages, scheduled maintenance activities and increasing electricity demand.

NGCP spokesperson Reagan Alcantara told Boracay Sun News in a phone interview underway to improve grid conditions and return the Visayas Grid from Red Alert to Yellow Alert status.

A Red Alert is declared when available power supply is insufficient to meet consumer demand and reserve requirements. Under such conditions, manual load dropping or rotational power interruptions may be implemented to prevent a widespread grid collapse.

For Boracay, Alcantara said a key component of the island's long-term power strategy is the ₱5.27-billion Nabas-Caticlan-Boracay 138-kilovolt Transmission Line Project. Scheduled for completion in August 2026, “the project is expected to significantly strengthen transmission capacity and improve the reliability of electricity supply for the island,” he said.

NGCP continues to conduct real-time monitoring of the transmission network, assess electricity demand and coordinate with power generators and distribution utilities, including the Aklan Electric Cooperative (AKELCO), to maximize available capacity and prepare contingency measures.

NGCP emphasized that the availability of sufficient electricity depends largely on the amount of power generated and supplied to the grid.

For his part, AKELCO General Manager Atty. Ariel Gepty said during the 43^rd General Membership Assembly on May 16 that they will continue to implement infrastructure upgrades in Boracay, including the replacement and relocation of electric poles, rehabilitation of aging facilities, and preventive maintenance activities aimed at improving system reliability and minimizing power interruptions.

Despite volatility in global fuel markets earlier this year caused by tensions in the Middle East, the DOE said its coordinated response helped avert potential electricity rate increases of up to ₱7 per kilowatt-hour. AKELCO's June residential rate remained among the lowest in Western Visayas.