Power to the people

What is worse than this infernal weather, with the heat index surging to the mid-40s, threatening people’s health and well-being, and causing either the suspension of classes or a shift to synchronous or asynchronous modes of learning?

The answer is easy, albeit uncomfortable: Having a power outage.

Several times last week, the Luzon and Visayas power grids were placed under red or yellow alert, according to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines. There is a red alert status when the power supply is insufficient to meet consumer demand and the transmission grid’s regulating requirement. Meanwhile, there is a yellow alert when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid’s contingency requirement. 

With the continued heat anticipated in the coming days, prospects look dim for those banking on a consistent and reliable power supply. In these instances, everyone – individuals, households, communities, public and private organizations, industries, and the economy – suffers. The suffering is at least on two fronts: lost momentum, and too-high energy prices that put a dent on finances. 

But last week’s disruptions are just one of the recent instances of an apparent power shortage. Across the country, local government units have been grappling with their respective situations for a long time.

In Batangas and Laguna, for instance, LGU officials have called out their distribution utilities (DUs) for deplorable services. In some municipalities, both private citizens and business owners have complained that frequent outages have been damaging their equipment and appliances, leading to their desire to replace the DUs that serve their areas. 

Imagine, too, enduring what Occidental Mindoro went through, with its 20-hour daily power outages that prompted the declaration of a state of calamity. Lawmakers had to intervene in a long-standing power crisis to address the problem at its core. 

In Pampanga, cases have been filed against BATELEC 1 for poor services. Six mayors in the province have also asked the Energy Regulatory Commission to intervene with regard to the high power rates of Pampanga Electric Cooperative 3 (PELCO 3). 

For a country like the