Rotating power blackouts have prompted Pampanga Rep. and chairman of the House committee on energy Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo to call for an inventory of the country’s power supply. In the first week of February, Metro Manila and some provinces in Luzon began experiencing two to three-hour dai blackouts after the 540-megawatt (MW) Limay combined cycle power plant in Bataan went offline for maintenance work. Despite Congress being on campaign break, Arroyo said he will be seeking permission from Speaker Prospero Nograles to conduct hearings regarding these blackouts, fearing any disruption of the May10 presidential elections.

In an article published in The Philippine Star last February 16, Arroyo also said that “As chair of the House energy committee, I will do everything in my power to resolve the issue and ensure not only a brownout-less election day, but as well avert what is now being projected as a looming energy crisis,” he promised.

Power outages have mainly been due to maintenance work and lack of fuel supply. Aside from the Limay power plant in Bataan, The Malampaya gas to power project (which supplies 2,700 MW of natural gas to three power plants in Luzon)is also undergoing maintenance repairs. Unfortunately, five other large power plants in Luzon are shutting down for repair and maintenance work according to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP).

“We have begun writing the concerned agencies, the Department of Energy, the Napocor (National Power Corp.) and all the players in the energy sector informing them of the hearing for purposes of power supply inventory,” Arroyo disclosed. All the concerned government agencies have likewise been advised of the possible probe. He however, refuses to call the situation a power crisis, saying the situation is “still manageable”.

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