Legarda leads diagnosis of Antique-Aklan power and connectivity gaps; secures commitments for coordinated public-private solutions

Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda led a substantive diagnosis of the power and connectivity challenges affecting Antique and Aklan and secured commitments for coordinated public-private solutions, emphasizing that reliable electricity and accessible internet are essential to inclusive local development, tourism, education, livelihood, public services, and investment.

During a multi-sector briefing at the Senate on May 28, 2026, Legarda carefully led national agencies, power stakeholders, electric cooperatives, telecommunications providers, and local governments in identifying the root causes of recurring service issues in the two provinces, from power supply and transmission constraints to distribution upgrades, last-mile electrification, internet deployment, and the long-term maintenance of completed projects.

Held in coordination with the Aklan Information Communications and Technology Council, the briefing gathered the National Electrification Administration (NEA), the Department of Energy (DOE), the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), the Antique and Aklan Electric Cooperatives, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), telecommunications providers, and local stakeholders.

“We know how electricity and internet affect daily life. They affect children studying, small businesses earning, and tourists visiting our provinces. These two are also connected because internet service depends heavily on reliable power. That is why we have to complete the substations, power lines, and last-mile electrification projects, but we must look for ways that it will not suddenly add to the burden of consumers,” Legarda said.

Through the discussion, Legarda clarified that Panay’s power problem is not caused by only one factor. NGCP reported that the island was short by about 87 megawatts, with a major 150-megawatt power unit then on forced outage, while DOE explained that additional reserves are still needed to prevent future supply disruptions as demand continues to grow. DOE said it is monitoring the return to operation of the power plant on forced outage and pursuing new generation investments, while NGCP committed to complete the Nabas-Caticlan-Boracay power highway by August 2026 to strengthen supply security for Aklan and Boracay.

On distribution, Legarda confirmed that apart from recent rotating brownouts caused by supply constraints, many interruptions in Antique and Aklan were linked to large-scale cooperative upgrading and maintenance works, including reconductoring, replacement of bare wires, line improvements, and substation upgrades.

She stressed that these works reflect a needed catch-up modernization of aging distribution infrastructure, but must be carried out efficiently, with clear schedules and minimal disruption to households, businesses, schools, and public services. NEA and the cooperatives committed to identify priority facilities, accelerate upgrades, clarify funding sources and timelines, and coordinate with the ERC on long-pending regulatory approvals affecting critical infrastructure projects.

On last-mile electrification, Legarda noted the need to distinguish between energizing remaining households and ensuring that newly connected communities receive reliable service. She emphasized that funding for electrification must be matched by sufficient generation, transmission, and distribution capacity.

On connectivity, Legarda recalled her support for Free Wi-Fi for All sites in 150 barangays in Antique and asked DICT to sustain these projects, conduct an audit of their performance, and clarify the locations of active sites in Western Visayas. DICT committed to maintain funded sites and expand coverage in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.

Legarda also highlighted her donation of Starlink units to Antique, stressing that local governments must ensure that donated and government-procured connectivity facilities are properly deployed, maintained, and not left idle.

Telecommunications providers, for their part, presented planned investments and technical solutions to improve service reliability, including fiber expansion, network redundancy, fiberized towers, congestion relief, and satellite-based connectivity for remote areas, while seeking closer coordination with local governments on permits.

“We also asked our local governments to help make it easier for telecommunications providers to invest and build in our communities. There should be no unnecessary costs, requirements, or delays. If these happen, I asked the providers to immediately let us know so we can help address them. At the same time, DICT committed to support internet services in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, while the service providers committed to continue investing in infrastructure and improving their services for the needs of Antique and Aklan,” Legarda said.

Legarda concluded by calling for closer coordination among LGUs, power utilities, telecommunications providers, and national agencies, stressing that electricity and internet connectivity must be planned together so communities can receive reliable power, working connectivity, completed infrastructure, and better public service. She added that future meetings may involve other Panay Island provinces to ensure a more aligned, island-wide approach to power reliability and digital connectivity. (30)

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Legarda pinangunahan ang pagsusuri sa kakulangan ng kuryente at konektibidad sa Antique at Aklan; tiniyak ang koordinadong solusyon ng publiko at pribadong sektor

Pinangunahan ni Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda ang masusing pagsusuri sa mga hamon ng kuryente at konektibidad na kinakaharap ng Antique at Aklan, kasabay ng pagbibigay-diin na mahalaga ang maaasahang kuryente at abot-kayang internet para sa inklusibong lokal na kaunlaran, turismo, edukasyon, kabuhayan, serbisyong panlipunan, at pamumuhunan.

Sa isinagawang multi-sector briefing sa Senado noong Mayo 28, 2026, pinamunuan ni Legarda ang mga pambansang ahensya, power stakeholders, electric cooperatives, telecommunications providers, at mga lokal na pamahalaan sa pagtukoy ng ugat ng paulit-ulit na problema sa serbisyo sa dalawang probinsya—mula sa kakulangan sa suplay at transmission, hanggang sa mga upgrade sa distribusyon, last-mile electrification, internet deployment, at pangmatagalang maintenance ng mga natapos na proyekto.

Sa pakikipagtulungan ng Aklan Information Communications and Technology Council, dinaluhan ang briefing ng National Electrification Administration (NEA), Department of Energy (DOE), National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), Antique at Aklan Electric Cooperatives, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), mga telecommunications providers, at iba pang lokal na stakeholders.

“Alam natin kung paano nakakaapekto sa araw-araw ang kuryente at internet. Apektado ang mga batang nag-aaral, maliliit na negosyo, at mga turistang bumibisita sa ating mga probinsya. Magkaugnay din ang dalawa dahil nakasalalay ang internet sa maaasahang kuryente. Kaya kailangan nating tapusin ang mga substation, power lines, at last-mile electrification projects, pero dapat tiyakin na hindi biglang madadagdag sa pasanin ng mga konsumer,” ani Legarda.

Ipinaliwanag ni Legarda na hindi iisang dahilan ang ugat ng problema sa kuryente sa Panay. Iniulat ng NGCP na kulang ng humigit-kumulang 87 megawatts ang Panay, bunsod ng forced outage ng isang malaking 150-megawatt power unit. Dagdag ng DOE, kailangan pa ng karagdagang reserba upang maiwasan ang mga susunod na aberya habang patuloy na tumataas ang demand. Sinabi ng DOE na mino-monitor ang pagbabalik-operasyon ng plantang naka-forced outage at tinutulak ang bagong generation investments, habang nangako ang NGCP na tatapusin ang Nabas-Caticlan-Boracay power highway pagsapit ng Agosto 2026 upang palakasin ang seguridad ng suplay para sa Aklan at Boracay.

Sa distribusyon, kinumpirma ni Legarda na bukod sa rotating brownouts dahil sa kakulangan ng suplay, marami ring aberya sa Antique at Aklan ang dulot ng malakihang upgrading at maintenance ng mga kooperatiba—kabilang ang reconductoring, pagpapalit ng bare wires, line improvements, at substation upgrades. Giit niya, mahalagang hakbang ito para makahabol sa modernisasyon ng lumang imprastruktura, ngunit dapat isagawa nang mahusay, may malinaw na iskedyul, at may pinakamababang abala sa kabahayan, negosyo, paaralan, at serbisyong panlipunan. Nangako ang NEA at mga kooperatiba na tukuyin ang mga prayoridad na pasilidad, pabilisin ang upgrades, linawin ang pinagmumulan ng pondo at iskedyul, at makipag-ugnayan sa ERC para sa matagal nang nakabinbing regulatory approvals.

Sa last-mile electrification, iginiit ni Legarda ang pangangailangang tukuyin ang kaibahan sa pagbibigay ng kuryente sa mga natitirang kabahayan at sa pagtiyak ng maaasahang serbisyo sa mga bagong konektadong komunidad. Binanggit niya na dapat tumugma ang pondo para sa electrification sa sapat na generation, transmission, at distribution capacity.

Sa usapin ng konektibidad, binanggit ni Legarda ang kanyang suporta sa Free Wi-Fi for All sites sa 150 barangay sa Antique at hiniling sa DICT na ipagpatuloy ang mga proyektong ito, magsagawa ng audit sa performance, at linawin ang lokasyon ng aktibong sites sa Western Visayas. Nangako ang DICT na panatilihin ang mga funded sites at palawakin ang coverage sa mga geographically isolated at disadvantaged areas.

Ipinunto rin ni Legarda ang kanyang donasyon ng Starlink units sa Antique, at iginiit na dapat tiyakin ng mga LGU na ang mga donasyon at government-procured connectivity facilities ay maayos na naipapamahagi, napapanatili, at hindi napapabayaan.

Naglatag naman ng mga plano at teknikal na solusyon ang mga telecommunications providers upang mapabuti ang serbisyo—kabilang ang fiber expansion, network redundancy, fiberized towers, congestion relief, at satellite-based connectivity para sa malalayong lugar—habang humihiling ng mas malapit na koordinasyon sa LGU sa usapin ng permits.

“Hiningi rin natin sa mga LGU na tulungan ang mga telecommunications providers na mas mapadali ang kanilang pamumuhunan at pagtatayo ng imprastruktura sa ating mga komunidad. Dapat walang dagdag na gastusin, requirements, o delay na hindi kailangan. Kapag nangyari ito, hiniling ko sa providers na agad ipaalam sa atin para matulungan natin silang maresolba. Kasabay nito, nangako ang DICT na suportahan ang internet services sa geographically isolated at disadvantaged areas, habang nangako rin ang service providers na ipagpapatuloy ang pamumuhunan sa imprastruktura at pagpapabuti ng kanilang serbisyo para sa pangangailangan ng Antique at Aklan,” ani Legarda.

Sa pagtatapos, nanawagan si Legarda ng mas malapit na koordinasyon sa pagitan ng LGU, power utilities, telecommunications providers, at pambansang ahensya, at binigyang-halaga na dapat sabay na pinaplano ang kuryente at konektibidad upang matiyak na ang mga komunidad ay may maaasahang suplay ng kuryente, gumaganang internet, natapos na imprastruktura, at mas mahusay na serbisyong panlipunan. Dagdag pa niya, maaaring isama sa mga susunod na pagpupulong ang iba pang probinsya ng Panay upang matiyak ang mas maayos na island-wide approach sa power reliability at digital connectivity. (30)