MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Win Gatchalian has called on the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to investigate recurring power supply deficits in the Visayas and Mindanao, pointing out that these shortages have driven up electricity rates compared to Luzon.
Speaking at a Senate budget hearing for the Department of Energy (DOE) and its attached agencies, Gatchalian presented market figures showing that Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) prices averaged ₱4.80 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in Luzon between July 26 and August 25.
During the same period, spot market rates spiked to ₱18.59 per kWh in the Visayas and ₱19.56 per kWh in Mindanao.
“Kung saan pa mataas ang poverty rates, sila pa ang nagbabayad ng mas mataas na kuryente. Obviously, its shortage of power,” Gatchalian said.
The Senate President emphasized that the sharp rate disparities highlight an urgent need to resolve chronic power supply limits outside Luzon, particularly in regions burdened by high poverty levels.
Gatchalian reminded the regulator of its existing grid reliability guidelines for generation and distribution companies, designed to minimize blackouts and maintain system stability.
He demanded strict enforcement and monitoring of these operational mandates.
Furthermore, Gatchalian asked the ERC to look into possible market manipulation or anti-competitive practices among power firms, questioning whether industry participants are taking advantage of tight supply margins or “gaming the system.”
Indicating severe ongoing grid instability, the Visayas region logged 33 red alerts and 96 yellow alerts between January 1 and September 7.
Gatchalian stated that the ERC’s inquiry must pinpoint the root causes of the supply deficit to protect consumers from paying inflated electricity costs.