TransCo addresses Mindoro power outage, supply issues

CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — The National Transmission Corporation (TransCo) is stepping up efforts to reduce the duration of power outages in Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, through better grid monitoring and closer coordination with power generators and distribution utilities.

Currently, consumers served by the Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (ORMECO) experience two to three power interruptions every month, with blackouts typically lasting one to four hours — a situation that has affected households, businesses, and essential services across the province.

TransCo Public Relations Officer Aristides Espano explained in a Monda video post that power supply interruptions across the island stem from multiple factors — including insufficient power supply, generation plant concerns, and scheduled maintenance work — and that the transmission agency alone is not responsible for every blackout.

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“Power outages in Mindoro are not simply a matter of lines going down,” Espano said.

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Communities lose electricity for many reasons, including when generation companies cannot deliver the power that distribution utilities require, he said.

TransCo owns and manages government transmission assets such as high‑voltage lines and substations.

While the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) operates the main transmission grid, TransCo oversees and monitors transmission assets in smaller island grids — including Mindoro — under the direction of the Department of Energy.

Espano noted that financial and operational challenges faced by some power generators, including difficulties securing fuel amid rising costs, also contribute to supply shortfalls.

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He stressed, however, that reliable electricity service requires close teamwork across all players in the energy sector.

A key improvement, he said, is faster, real‑time grid monitoring.

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Previously, information had to be relayed manually between engineers, generation firms, and electric cooperatives — slowing down restoration efforts.

With enhanced monitoring and quicker information sharing, TransCo can now coordinate responses more efficiently and help get power back online sooner.

“We cannot eliminate outages entirely,” Espano said, adding that the goal is to shorten their duration and keep our transmission facilities in good shape so that recovery is faster when interruptions do occur.

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TransCo said it will keep working closely with ORMECO, the Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (OMECO), and all generation providers to improve service reliability across the island.