The Department of Energy (DOE) said the country has sufficient energy supply during the El Niño season which is expected to continue until the summer month of May.
DOE Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella said “the power situation is not much of a concern.”
“We foresee no power supply issues in the coming months. In terms of energy outlooks, we foresee no problems with Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao forecasts,” Usec. Fuentebella told the second meeting of Task Force El Niño held at the Office of Civil Defense in Camp Aguinaldo.
In line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos to ensure energy security during the El Niño and summer season, Usec. Fuentebella said the DOE is closely monitoring the timely completion of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) major transmission projects in the first quarter of this year.
On Feb. 12, Usec. Fuentebella made the report on stable power supply to the Task Force El Niño, chaired by Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. while Science and Technology Secretary Renato U. Solidum is co-chairperson.
The President has designated the following officials as task force members: Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga, Secretary of Agriculture Francis Tiu Laurel Jr., Secretary of Health Teodoro J. Herbosa, and Secretary of National Economic and Development Authority Arsenio M. Balisacan.
The regular meeting of the Task Force El Niño is to comply with President Marcos’ Executive Order No. 53 which directs the government to streamline, reactivate, and reconstitute the old El Niño task forces under EO No. 16 (s. 2001) and Memorandum Order No. 38 (s. 2019).
Signed on Jan. 19, 2024, President Marcos’ executive order directs the task force to develop a comprehensive disaster preparedness and rehabilitation plan for El Niño and La Niña to provide “systematic, holistic, and results-driven interventions” to help the public cope and minimize their devastating effects. (PR)
