High-voltage shift in energy

The US, Israel and Iran may be trading bombs over oil and ego, but here at home, the bloody crisis has not stopped our local energy players from what may soon be a highly charged shift in the country’s power industry.

There’s tycoon Ramon Ang, for instance, eyeing new coal sites soon up for auction in the country, potentially including the sprawling Semirara coal mine in Antique, as reported by our energy reporter Brix Lelis.

Semirara, NGCP

If RSA indeed joins the bidding for Semirara, he will be up against the incumbent, tycoon Sid Consunji who, in turn, may partner with the MVP Group for a stronger Semirara bid. But if RSA is truly interested, he would surely put up a fight, considering his track record of “bidding to win.”

It’s an exciting race for sure.

And then there’s the persistent grapevine talk in the past few weeks that Enrique Razon, now the country’s richest man, is interested in acquiring a stake in the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, the country’s grid operator. This would be a comeback if it pushes through. Note that in 2010, Henry Sy Jr. acquired Razon’s 30 percent stake in NGCP, paving the way for Big Boy’s entry into the transmission operator.

Could this be related to the delay in the entry of Maharlika Investment Corp. in NGCP? One source privy to the Maharlika deal said EKR is interested in buying into NGCP. If this happens, I’m curious – at what price would the selling shareholders be willing to sell? Would Maharlika insist on a similar price?

The bigger question, though, is who is willing to share? My energy beat mate, Manilla Bulletin’s Myrna Velasco, has hinted in her column that at least one shareholder is willing to sell his stake. Who might that be?

Energizing change

Whether or not he will vie for another crack at NGCP, Razon is busy expanding his presence in the Visayas region.

His companies have promised improvements, although it has not been easy, given decades of problematic systems in the different provinces in the region.

Years ago, we heard horror stories about overbilling of customers, with one household consumer supposedly charged more than P100,000 for a month’s consumption; unauthorized connections and frustrating power outages.

Against this backdrop, Razon’s MORE Electric and Power Corp., alongside other key players like Bohol Light and Negros Electric and Power Corp., has made strategic investments in the Visayas.

MORE Power, for instance, said it has invested over P2 billion in infrastructure upgrades – new substations, modernized transmission facilities and the replacement of aging poles have drastically improved system reliability.

There are still power outages. A quick look at Facebook revealed customer complaints against MORE Power, but industry data show that unscheduled power interruptions have decreased from about 18 times annually to about one per year.

MORE Power is setting its sights on expansion, with plans to extend its services to surrounding municipalities.

In Tagbilaran, Bohol Light is also trying to change the game under the management of Primelectric.

The company grew its customer count to 24,138 in 2025 from 23,629 the previous year, on the back of improved connection processes and faster inspections.

Moving forward, the company has plans for infrastructure development this year, including the construction of a 69-kV sub-transmission line.

In Northern Negros, the Alliance of Concerned Consumers in Electricity and Social Services has thrown its support behind a proposed joint venture between Negros Electric and Power Corp. (Negros Power) and the Northern Negros Electric Cooperative, a partnership that aims to address long-standing issues in electricity distribution.

The stories of MORE Power, Bohol Light and Negros Power show that with the right investments, public utilities can improve significantly. They also demonstrate that with the right mix of private investment and community engagement, it is possible to overcome decades of inefficiency.

But it doesn’t always have to be big private companies that distribute power in the provinces. Electric cooperatives, closely watched by regulators, can work, too, if managed well and efficiently.

As the Visayas region continues to grow, the lessons learned from these success stories will be invaluable.

When consumers, local authorities and utilities work hand in hand, the result is more than better services – it’s a brighter future for all.

One can only hope that these improvements aren’t just initial gains but a sustained and lasting commitment to the communities they serve.

Unfortunately, not every area in the country is seeing improvements. There are still many places that suffer from precarious electricity supply.

Lighting up the archipelago

For us in Metro Manila, it’s hard to believe that there are still far-flung villages where electricity is still not available 24/7.

Some issues are caused by man-made problems such as inefficient distribution utilities.

The problem, however, is that in these remote communities, many cooperatives and DUs are mired in corruption.

There are currently cases pending in the courts against officials of cooperatives for embezzlement or misuse of funds, which result in high electricity rates and poor service.

Despite these problems, there’s no denying that the power sector has the country’s tycoons scrambling for their own fiefdoms.

Let’s wait and see what happens next in what is shaping up to be a high-voltage, highly charged shift in the energy sector.

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