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DOE seeks full NGCP accountability following Ilijan Transmission Disruptions
Date published: May 15 2026 03:30 AM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
14 May 2026
DOE seeks full NGCP accountability following Ilijan Transmission Disruptions
The Department of Energy (DOE) has called on the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to provide a full disclosure of the back-to-back tripping of the 500 kilovolt (kV) transmission lines at the Ilijan power complex in Batangas on May 13, 2026, which resulted in the severance of a major generation plants from the Luzon grid and prompted grid emergency alerts across two island grids.
“These transmission failures had real consequences on grid stability and placed millions of consumers at risk. The public deserves full and immediate transparency from NGCP. The DOE will ensure that all operational, reportorial, and regulatory obligations are strictly enforced in protection of consumers,” Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin said
The alert conditions were triggered by the tripping of the 500 kV Ilijan–Dasmariñas transmission lines at approximately 6:00 AM on 13 May 2026, followed by the subsequent tripping of the 500 kV Ilijan–Tayabas transmission lines. The combined loss of these facilities resulted in the complete isolation of the Ilijan Gas to Power Complex (LNGPH) from the Luzon grid, necessitating the declaration of a Red Alert over the Luzon grid and a Yellow Alert over the Visayas grid—a cascading impact that underscores the severity of the transmission failures involved.
Of serious regulatory concern is NGCP’s failure to promptly declare and report the Ilijan–Dasmariñas line trip to the relevant regulatory authorities at the time of the incident—notwithstanding the significance of the event and its immediate impact on grid stability. To date, NGCP has not submitted the required incident report identifying the root cause or causes of the 13 May 2026 tripping events, in violation of its obligations under the Philippine Grid Code.
The DOE’s technical teams have been actively and independently verifying the status of all affected generating units and transmission facilities, and to assess whether NGCP and concerned generation companies complied with dispatch instructions and restoration timelines during the alert period.
Among the key information NGCP is required to report are the specific date, time, duration, and areas affected by each alert declaration; the root cause or triggering factor of the Ilijan line trips and each subsequent supply deficiency; all generating units, transmission lines, and facilities that experienced forced outages, deratings, or reduced availability; reserve and demand levels at the time of each alert; immediate corrective and load management measures undertaken; the restoration timeline and normalization actions; and all related coordination with the DOE, ERC, and concerned generation companies.