The National Power Corporation (NPC) confirmed that Palawan will remain under their watch until such time that the Mindoro-Palawan interconnection will be completed between 2031 until 2035, that will pave way for the transfer of Palawan then to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) once it is already part of the grid.
NPC is responsible for the missionary electrification of offgrid islands and remote areas in the country through its Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG). It also continues to provide electricity to these areas, manages the upkeep of existing government-owned generation assets, and supports the country’s goal of achieving total electrification.
The Mindoro Palawan Interconnection is a long-term infrastructure project initiated by the national government to connect the off-grid island of Palawan to the main Luzon power grid, via Mindoro, using submarine cables. The primary goal is to provide a reliable, affordable, and stable power supply to both Mindoro and Palawan, which have suffered from frequent power outages due to reliance on expensive, stand-alone generators because of their isolation from the main grid. The project involves a detailed plan for the underwater cable installation that will link Palawan to the mainland Luzon grid.
Congressman Gil Acosta Jr said that during a hearing of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy that the NPC confirmed that Palawan will remain under their jurisdiction and responsibility until such time that the interconnection is completed.
“Sa nasabing pagdinig, kinumpirma ng NPC na mananatili muna sa kanilang pamamahala ang operasyon ng kuryente sa Palawan hanggang maisakatuparan ang paglilipat nito sa TransCo o NGCP. Ang naturang paglilipat ay nakadepende sa pagkumpleto ng malaking proyektong Mindoro-Palawan Interconnection, na inaasahang matatapos sa pagitan ng 2031 hanggang 2035,” he explained.
As of the present the submarine cable from Batangas going to Mindoro has been completed, while the construction of the 150-kilometer transmission line from northern Mindoro to southern Mindoro is still ongoing. Once completed, the transmission line in southern Mindoro will then connect to Palawan, considered as a geographically isolated islands in the country.
“Gayunpaman, binigyang-diin natin ang pangangailangan na mapabilis ang proseso. Napakahaba pa ng inaasahang timeline, samantalang humigit-kumulang 40% ng mga kabahayan sa Palawan ay nananatiling walang kuryente hanggang sa ngayon. “Hindi natin kayang maghintay ng mahigit isang dekada para sa serbisyong matagal nang ipinagkakait sa ating mga kababayan. Ang kuryente ay hindi luho, kundi pangunahing pangangailangan,” Acosta said.
The hearing likewise discussed an alternative that would connect Palawan to the grid—which is through Sabah, which is part of the ASEAN Power Grid Interconnection.
ASEAN Power Grid (APG) interconnection between Palawan and Sabah is included in the BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines) framework, specifically within the eastern subregion. This project is part of a larger regional initiative to integrate national electricity networks for cross-border power trading, energy security, and accelerated renewable energy adoption, with specific plans to connect Sabah and Palawan being a key component.
Acosta considered these two prospects as a welcome development to Palawan, either which of them will be completed first, the important is that, these two prospective plans will benefit the electric consumers in Palawan.
“Mahalagang masiguro na ngayon pa lamang ay ginagawa na ang lahat ng kinakailangang hakbang upang maiwasan ang anumang delay. Ang bawat araw na lumilipas nang walang kuryente ay araw na naaapektuhan ang pag-unlad ng mga kabahayan, kabataan, at kabuhayan sa Palawan. Kailangang kumilos tayo nang mas mabilis at mas sistematiko. Patuloy nating itinutulak ang mga reporma at konkretong aksyon upang maihatid ang mas maaasahan, abot-kaya, at pangmatagalang solusyon sa supply ng kuryente para sa Palawan at buong MIMAROPA,” Acosta said.
