Escudero calls for PEDC, PCPC penalties over Western Visayas power outages

Senator Francis Escudero has called for penalties against Panay Energy Development Corporation (PEDC) and Palm Concepcion Power Corporation (PCPC) over recent power disruptions in Western Visayas that began on Tuesday.

Escudero wants PEDC and PCPC to provide detailed explanations regarding the unscheduled shutdowns of their plants, which caused prolonged blackouts affecting local businesses and households across Panay Island, Guimaras, and parts of Negros Island.

Senator Nancy Binay expressed concern about the impact of these outages on the tourism industry, noting that unreliable power supply could deter tourists from visiting affected areas.

Binay urged the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) to develop contingency plans for future prolonged brownouts in tourist destinations.

Both senators emphasized the need for a thorough investigation and long-term solutions to prevent similar occurrences and avoid surges in electricity prices, highlighting the importance of addressing issues across generation, transmission, and distribution.