The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has ordered the resumption of operations of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) in the Bohol and Leyte-Samar sub-grids effective Oct. 2, 2025.
The move follows the normalization of system conditions after a suspension triggered by a magnitude 6.9 earthquake near Cebu.
The commission, which serves as the trading floor for electricity across the Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao power grids, lifted its Oct. 1 directive that suspended WESM operations due to total power failure caused by the quake.
The ERC’s Market Operations Service–Spot Market Division, in coordination with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) system operator and WESM operator Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP), closely monitored the condition of the Visayas grid.
NGCP reported that the 138-kV Ubay–Maasin Line 2 was energized at 4:01 a.m. on Oct. 1, enabling the synchronization of Bohol Island with the Visayas grid. The Leyte-Samar sub-grid was also fully restored at 7:12 p.m. on the same day.
The commission said the technical conditions had been satisfied after confirming both sub-grids remained synchronized to the grid for 24 consecutive hours. Market operations in Bohol resumed at 4:05 a.m. on Oct. 2, and in Leyte-Samar at 7:15 p.m. of the same day.
ERC chairperson Francis Saturnino Juan reiterated the commission’s firm commitment to maintaining the stability of the Visayas grid. The ERC directed IEMOP to immediately notify trading participants and the NGCP system operator of the resumption.
The ERC underscored its authority to suspend WESM operations during national security emergencies or natural calamities that lead to generation shortfalls or surplus, citing Section 30 of Republic Act No. 9136, or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA).
