TORIL, Davao City—Malacañang has set a meeting with stakeholders in the Mindanao power issue to ensure that grid collapse will not happen even as President Benigno Aquino III emphasized that the problem had existed before his adminisitration.
“These right-of-way issues of our [transmission]towers were again inherited by us and there is the issue on the [land] valuation,” President Benigno Aquino III said during a press conference with reporters here.
Tower transmission operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines earlier cited the uncooperative landowners as the reason behind the supply deficiency experienced in Mindanao.
National Grid said it was trying to repair a damaged transmission tower, which cut the line from two major hydroelectric plants, but was refused entry by landowners.
It warned about a possible “grid collapse” in Mindanao, which would mean longer blackout for the power-starved region.
“We have a scheduled meeting by next week precisely how to address the inconsistent on valuation at the concerns of the landowners. Having said that, this is an industry imbued with national interest, surveyors can be utilized to ensure access to repair of the towers,” Aquino said.
Energy Secretary Zenaida Monsada, for her part, said the meeting next week will involve the Defense Department, Philippine National Police, among others.
“We have a meeting because bombing is a security issue… What will be the strategy,” Monsada said.
Monsada said plans to put round the clock security forces to guard the transmission towers may not be feasible.
“The bombings and the ROW, that’s two topics that Malacañang will discuss. We are creating a task force, an interagency task force. The proposal is for the executive secretary to head [the task force],” the energy chief said.
“The task force will determine what is reasonable [valuation]. The negotiation parameters. NGCP has already said they have limited negotiating parameters so what more can we do to clear this ROW,” Monsada said.
Two units of the Agus hydroelectric power complex with a combined capacity of 150 megawatts were isolated from the grid after unidentified men bombed Tower 25 in Ramain, Lanao del Sur province on Christmas Eve. National Grid said it was unable to restore the facility after the owners of the property refused entry due to payment issues.
The hydro plants are connected to the grid through the Agus 2-Kibawe 138 kV line.
National Grid earlier said the owners of the property where the tower is located—Johnny Sambitori, Intan Sambitori and Naguib Sambitori—refused entry to NGCP personnel who were deployed to repair the damaged transmission facility.
“Negotiations with the Sambitoris were unsuccessful because the owners alleged that the government failed to pay their claims a long time ago,” it said.
“Mindanao is facing a possible grid collapse if the situation persists since there is only one line remaining to deliver power from the Agus hydro complex, the Maramag-Bunawan 138 kV line,” National Grid said.
National Grid earlier said that Davao City and General Santos City are in “real danger of being completely cut off” from power supplies.”
Mindanao, home to a quarter of the Philippines’ more than 100- million people and the source of 40 percent of the nation’s food requirements, has suffered periodic power outages for years because its plants are aging and because hydroelectric facilities cannot operate during droughts.