Visayas Grid Under Yellow Alert Amid Tight Power Supply

MANILA, Philippines — The Visayas grid was placed under a yellow alert on Monday, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., as power supply remained tight with several large coal plants still offline. The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) issued the advisory, noting that available capacity as of 8 a.m. stood at 2,478 megawatts (MW), while peak demand was pegged at 2,327 MW. A yellow alert indicates that the country's power reserves are thinning, meaning that any unexpected plant outage could trigger service interruptions. The recurring power woes in Visayas underscore the urgent need for a grid-wide upgrade and a more robust energy infrastructure. The Department of Energy (DOE) has pledged to improve the power situation in the Visayas before President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s term ends, but the underlying issues require sustained attention and investment. Reliable power is fundamental to economic growth, industrial productivity, and the daily lives of citizens. Shortages can disrupt businesses, deter investments, and lead to inconvenience for households.