The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)have directed the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to submit a comprehensive incident report on the Yellow and Red alerts that affected the Luzon and Visayas grids from May 12 to 14, as regulators intensify scrutiny over power supply disruptions that threatened electricity reliability for millions of consumers.

The joint directive requires NGCP to provide a full account of the supply deficiencies and grid contingencies that triggered the alerts over the three-day period.

“The DOE is focused on ensuring stable power supply, protecting consumers, and enforcing accountability across the power sector,” Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said.

“The public deserves a full and transparent accounting of the incidents that led to these grid alerts, and we are requiring NGCP to comply fully with all reportorial and regulatory obligations,” she added.

The DOE said its technical teams are independently verifying the status of affected generation units and transmission facilities, as well as assessing whether NGCP and concerned power plants complied with dispatch instructions and restoration timelines during the alert period.

Under the order, NGCP must disclose the date, time, duration, and areas affected by each alert declaration; the root causes of the supply deficiencies; generating units and transmission facilities that suffered forced outages or deratings; reserve and demand levels at the time of each alert; corrective actions taken; and the timeline for restoring normal operations.

DOE also emphasized that under ERC Resolution No. 13, Series of 2010, NGCP is required to submit an initial report within 60 minutes of any system disruption. Compliance with this requirement is being closely monitored by both agencies.

Grid alerts are issued when available reserves fall below required levels, signaling tighter supply conditions and raising the risk of service interruptions.

DOE said it will continue to monitor grid conditions in Luzon and Visayas and coordinate with NGCP, the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines, distribution utilities, and generation companies to ensure supply adequacy is fully restored.

What do you think should be done to strengthen grid reliability and reduce the frequency of yellow and red alerts in the Philippines?

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