The House of Representatives has initiated an investigation into the massive blackout that occurred on May 13, affecting millions of consumers in Luzon and Visayas. The inquiry was launched following the filing of House Resolution No. 1024 by Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III and Senior Deputy Speaker Ferdinand Hernandez.
Scope of the Investigation
The House Committee on Energy and the House Committee on Legislative Franchises led the hearing, which discussed the tripping of the Tayabas-Ilijan and Dasmariñas-Ilijan 500-kilovolt transmission lines. These incidents triggered Red and Yellow alerts in the Luzon and Visayas grids, leading to widespread power interruptions.
According to Hernandez, the inquiry aims to determine what failed, why it happened, and what steps should be taken to prevent a recurrence of the grid collapse. He noted that over 3.9 million consumers in Metro Manila, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal were affected by Manual Load Dropping, resulting in business losses and household disruptions.
Key Areas of Focus
The lawmaker emphasized the need for stronger coordination between the Department of Energy, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), and other stakeholders to expedite response and improve crisis management during large-scale power outages. The investigation is focusing on several critical areas:
- Technical accountability – Identifying the root causes of the transmission line trips and equipment failures.
- Grid resilience – Assessing the robustness of the power grid against similar incidents.
- Communication protocols – Evaluating how information was disseminated to the public and affected entities.
- Supply security – Ensuring adequate power generation and transmission capacity to meet demand.
Hernandez added that the investigation seeks to strengthen protections for the power grid and the public, ensuring that such a widespread blackout does not happen again. The House committees will continue hearings to gather evidence and recommend legislative measures to enhance the reliability of the country's power system.
