AboitizPower exec urges early, joint action on Mindanao's rising power demand

Mindanao needs government, the power industry and communities to work together now to keep electricity reliable and affordable as demand grows, an AboitizPower executive said in Davao City, according to Edge Davao.

Aldo Ramos, president and chief operating officer of AboitizPower Distribution Utilities, spoke on Tuesday at the PowerForward Mindanao media forum at Aria Hotel and Residences. He warned that the region should not become complacent despite its present generation capacity.

Ramos pointed to the 2016 Mindanao power crisis, when widespread blackouts hit businesses and public services. Citing records, he said the outages cost the island an estimated P300 million to P400 million a day. "Reliability is not a luxury; it's the foundation of every goal we have in Mindanao," he said.

He described the current outlook as relatively stable, with more than 4,600 megawatts of installed capacity against peak demand of about 2,700 MW, a reserve of nearly 2,000 MW. However, he said the Department of Energy has indicated this margin will shrink over time. He also cited recent supply problems in Zamboanga, which led to a red alert there and a yellow alert across Mindanao, as proof that trouble in one area can ripple through the grid.

Ramos outlined three priorities: attracting power-sector investment to support economic growth, including adding baseload generation and developing solar while keeping rates competitive; extending electricity to unserved areas, particularly in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas; and making the system more resilient through grid upgrades, battery storage and climate adaptation.

He said no single company or agency has all the answers and called on regulators, electric cooperatives, academe, civil society, young people and communities to join the discussion. He said AboitizPower would help facilitate these talks and consolidate stakeholders' recommendations.