The power grid in the Visayas is currently operating with a very thin reserve margin of only 57 megawatts, according to officials from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP). This situation raises the risk of rotational brownouts if another power plant unexpectedly shuts down.
During a media forum on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, Neil Martin Modina, head of NGCP's Visayas System Operations, explained that the tight supply is due to a series of technical problems and reduced output from power plants in the region.
"Today, our forecast for the evening peak is yellow alert. We have an operating margin projected at about 57 megawatts. So very slim ang operating margin," Modina said.
Under the Philippine Grid Code, a yellow alert is declared when operating reserves fall below the required contingency reserve. A red alert is declared when supply is insufficient to meet the grid's regulation requirements.
Modina clarified that a yellow alert means the system still has supply, but it is at high risk of instability. If another major plant suddenly trips, the system could quickly escalate to red alert status, forcing distribution utilities to implement rotational brownouts to prevent a larger grid collapse.
