Mindanao is helping stabilize the country’s power supply by exporting 411 megawatts (MW) of electricity to the Visayas grid amid tightening power reserves in Luzon and the Visayas, according to an official.
Deputy Executive Director Assistant Secretary Romeo Montenegro of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) said Mindanao has been continuously supplying power to the Visayas as red and yellow alerts were raised in other parts of the country due to thin operating reserves.
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) again placed the Luzon and Visayas grids under yellow and red alerts from Friday afternoon to evening due to forced outages of several power plants and increased electricity demand amid the hot dry season.
In an advisory, NGCP said a yellow alert was raised from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., followed by a red alert from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., before another yellow alert from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.
“With red and yellow alerts raised over Luzon and Visayas due to tightening power reserves, Mindanao is quietly helping keep the national grid stable-exporting 411MW to the Visayas 100% of the time, equivalent to around 12% of Mindanao’s available generating capacity and 16% of Visayas peak demand as of reporting time,” Montenegro said.
A yellow alert is issued when the operating margin of a power grid falls below the required contingency level, signaling limited reserves but no immediate power interruption. A red alert, meanwhile, is declared when power supply becomes insufficient to meet consumer demand and reserve requirements, often resulting in rotational brownouts or load dropping.
Montenegro said Mindanao’s current role in supporting the national grid highlights the region’s dramatic turnaround from its past power crisis.
“From once having crippling power shortages and rotating brownouts a decade ago, Mindanao has transformed into a reliable energy pillar for the country,” he said.
About a decade ago, Mindanao experienced prolonged rotational brownouts due to inadequate generating capacity and heavy reliance on hydropower, which was highly vulnerable to the El Niño phenomenon and declining water levels.
Montenegro said Mindanao’s improved energy position was driven by strategic investments in power generation, stronger grid interconnection, and expanded renewable energy initiatives.
“Today, while other grids face precarious supply conditions, Mindanao stands as proof that strategic investments, stronger interconnection, and accelerated renewable energy push can turn a former deficit region into an emerging energy powerhouse,” he added.
He said the interconnection between the Mindanao and Visayas grids through the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP) has enabled the transfer of electricity between the two island groups, improving grid reliability and allowing excess power from one region to support another during periods of high demand or limited reserves.
