By CESAR JOLITO III
A consumer advocacy group has formally asked the Department of Energy (DOE) to intervene amid the high costs of electricity affecting consumers in the Negros Island Region (NIR).
In a complaint, the Alliance of Concerned Consumers in Electricity and Social Services (ACCESS) urged Energy Secretary Sharon Garin to take immediate action against generation companies, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), and the Philippine Electricity Market Corporation (PEMC), which operates the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).
ACCESS cited soaring electricity prices in the Visayas, noting that WESM clearing prices ranged from P14 to P18 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) between January and April 2026, with spikes reaching the P32 per kWh cap during periods of yellow and red alerts.
The group said these “oppressive” costs are being passed directly on to consumers in Negros.
The complaint argues that such pricing violates provisions of Republic Act 9136, or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), which mandates reasonable and reliable electricity rates.
Demands
Among its key demands, ACCESS urged the DOE to:
* Cap generation rates in NIR at P6.50 per kWh pending review by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC);
* Suspend transmission rate adjustments and require NGCP to complete the backbone project within a defined timeline;
* Implement additional price controls within WESM and review the P32 per kWh offer cap;
* Hold a public hearing in Bacolod City within 30 days; and
* Declare a state of power crisis in NIR to allow emergency measures and subsidies.
The group also requested a dialogue with the DOE within 10 days to discuss possible solutions.
ACCESS said it filed the complaint to exhaust administrative remedies, warning that failure to act may prompt escalation to the ERC for formal adjudication.
Transmission concerns
The group also questioned NGCP’s continued collection of full transmission charges despite the incomplete Cebu-Negros-Panay 230-kilovolt backbone project.
According to ACCESS, the delay contributes to system losses and congestion costs that are ultimately shouldered by consumers.
ACCESS further claimed that PEMC and WESM regulators failed to impose mechanisms such as secondary price caps or “must-offer” rules to prevent price spikes, particularly in a supply-constrained grid like the Visayas.
The group said generation and transmission charges now account for more than 60 percent of electricity bills in the region.
It added that a minimum wage earner earning P550 daily could spend between P3,200 and P3,800 monthly on electricity — equivalent to roughly 23 percent of income.
“This is consumer impoverishment, not cost recovery,” ACCESS said./CJ, WDJ