Stakeholders Call on NGCP to Speed Up Power Stabilization

NGCP linemen erecting poles to ensure continuous power supply. 📸 NGCP

Various stakeholder groups have urged the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to fast-track efforts to stabilize Boracay Island’s electricity supply ahead of its hosting of the ASEAN meet in March 2026.

At a press conference held last December at Casa Pilar Beach Resort, NGCP spokesperson Atty. Cynthia Alabanza said the target completion of the rehabilitation of the Unidos-Caticlan line is March 2026.

A series of power outages on November 24-25 and December 5-7, 2025, affecting NGCP’s 69 kV line drew strong criticism from Boracay stakeholders.

Alabanza said the reconductoring of the lines requires the issuance of necessary clearances and permits and also noted that several NGCP distribution lines were installed beneath the Boracay Airport runway.

Malay Councilor Vicky Aguirre, who attended the press conference, said the March 2026 completion target is uncomfortably close to the ASEAN meeting. “The power disruptions last December occurred just days before the first ASEAN meeting. We hope this will not happen again this March,” she said.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Boracay (PCCI-Boracay) and the Boracay Foundation Incorporated (BFI) likewise expressed concern over the unstable power supply, warning that frequent outages negatively affect tourist confidence.

Alabanza attributed part of the problem to the “one line, two operator” issue, wherein both AKELCO and NGCP had previously claimed ownership over the contested Nabas-Unidos-Caticlan-Boracay 69 kV line. To resolve this, NGCP has assumed ownership, operations, and maintenance of the line, allowing it to immediately implement corrective measures and improve reliability.

This transition follows a November 2024 Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) ruling that reclassified the Caticlan-Unidos 69 kV line from a sub-transmission to a transmission asset. Once the Nabas-Caticlan-Boracay 138 kV line is completed, the existing 69 kV line will also serve a transmission function and formally fall under NGCP.

Malay Councilor Grengo Gelito, a member of the Sangguniang Bayan’s energy committee had filed a formal complaint against AKELCO with the Department of Energy (DoE) and the National Electrification Administration (NEA) on December 6, 2025. He cited repeated power interruptions that disrupted households, livelihoods, hotels and tourism businesses, health services and water systems, as well as equipment damage that undermined Boracay’s reputation as a premier destination.

Gelito recommended that the NEA conduct an immediate technical and management audit of AKELCO; require a detailed, time-bound power reliability improvement plan; strengthen its public information system; and impose appropriate administrative measures if negligence, inefficiency, or mismanagement is found. The DoE said it will ask AKELCO to formally respond to Gelito’s recommendations.