CCCI-backed alliance presses for action on Cebu power crisis

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu’s business community is strengthening its push for an immediate resolution to the province’s power crisis, with the newly launched Cebu Energy Alliance bringing government agencies and industry stakeholders into a common platform to press for concrete action on electricity reliability and affordability.

The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry- backed alliance aims to turn mounting business concerns into coordinated, measurable solutions as Cebu pushes for reliable and affordable electricity

The alliance gives businesses a broader voice in demanding solutions to power supply concerns, moving beyond private-sector advocacy to a coordinated effort involving national agencies, local government and key players across the electricity industry.

CCCI is set to draft a position paper outlining the business sector’s concerns and recommendations, with Bernard Vonn Sia, the chamber’s vice president for business mobilization, saying sustained engagement will be needed to turn commitments into tangible results.

The Cebu Energy Alliance was formally launched during the Cebu Energy Summit at the Cebu Provincial Capitol, attended by Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin, who joined Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro in signing a commitment to address the province’s power concerns.

Unlike previous power summits organized by the chamber in March and June 2026, the latest initiative seeks to establish a more inclusive platform that brings government agencies into discussions previously driven largely by private-sector groups.

In an interview with Sia, he said the chamber intends to sustain pressure on stakeholders through quarterly engagements, ensuring that Cebu’s electricity challenges remain a priority until meaningful solutions are delivered.

The alliance is expected to engage national government agencies, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, power generators, distribution utilities, regulators and local governments to align responsibilities and identify measures to improve the power system.

For businesses, the urgency extends beyond power interruptions to the rising cost of maintaining operations through generators, backup systems and other contingency measures. Unreliable electricity also threatens productivity and investor confidence, while higher operating expenses weigh particularly heavily on smaller enterprises.

Sia stressed that Cebu needs both dependable electricity and affordable power over the long term, warning that businesses have limits to how much additional cost they can absorb.

While the position paper provides a starting point for the chamber’s recommendations, Sia acknowledged that the alliance still needs to determine its next steps and translate the initial commitments into an actionable program.

The challenge, he said, is to move from raising concerns to coordinating concrete interventions among the stakeholders responsible for electricity generation, transmission and distribution.

For Cebu’s business community, the alliance represents an opportunity to amplify its demands and hold stakeholders accountable for addressing a power problem that affects the province’s economic competitiveness.

The immediate priority is to improve reliability and coordination, while the longer-term goal is to secure an electricity system that can support Cebu’s continued growth without imposing unsustainable costs on businesses and consumers.