NGCP: Contingency measures in place for elections on Monday

| PHOTO FROM NGCP’S FACEBOOK PAGE

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has suspended all of its maintenance activities starting May 5 to prepare for the midterm elections on Monday, May 12.

In an advisory, NGCP said that contingency plans are also in place to ensure enough power supply in the elections.

As a preparation for the elections, “construction and non-critical maintenance activities near substations and transmission lines are temporarily suspended from 05-16 May.”

“Maintenance works and construction activities inside substations and within 300 meters of energized power lines are suspended from 05-16 May. All transmission lines were cleared of vegetation and obstructions as of April 30, except for one line in South Luzon. Scheduled vegetation trimming along the said line is still being negotiated with the uncooperative landowner,” it added.

Contingency measures

NGCP said that their contingency measures were consistent with the timeline of activities provided by the COMELEC under Resolution No. 10999 dated May 24, 2024, prescribing the calendar of activities and prohibited acts in line with the local and national elections, and Resolution No. 11055 dated September 13, 2024 setting the roles of different agencies in ensuring the peaceful and credible conduct of the mid-term elections.

The May 12 elections is scheduled from 7 a.m.to 7 p.m.  Early voting that will start at 5 a.m. has been announced for senior citizens, persons with disability (PWDs) and pregnant women.

“Uninterrupted and reliable transmission of power must be ensured during this critical period, thus warranting maintenance works and shutdowns to be put on hold,” read part of the NGCP statement.

Power interruption-free election

“NGCP is strictly following its contingency measures and coordinating with concerned groups to ensure a power interruption-free election, especially during the crucial periods prescribed by the COMELEC,” it added.

But this early, NGCP already gave the assurance that there would be sufficient power supply on Monday based on its updated power outlook.

“Maintenance activities of power plants were also adjusted to ensure their availability during this period,” it said.

NGCP will activate the 24/7 operations of its Overall Command Center starting at 8 p.m. on May 11 and this will continue until May 14.

During the operation of its command center, NGCP’s said that its critical units, particularly System Operations (SO) and Operations and Maintenance (O&M), would remain fully staffed and operational.

“Line crews, engineers, pilots, maintenance and testing, and other technical personnel are also strategically positioned in substations to respond to line trippings, if any. Administrative and other support teams will also remain on duty,” it added.

NGCP’s Power Task Force Elections (PTFE), a special team that was created to ensure the security and reliability of the transmission network across the country during the elections, started preparations of its election plans in February 2025.