President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the Department of Energy (DOE) to stabilize the country’s power supply particularly in Luzon and the Visayas.

“The directive is to fix or normalize the situation the soonest possible time,” Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said during a press briefing in Malacañang on Thursday when asked about the President’s meeting with DOE officials at the Palace on Wednesday.

“At napag-usapan din ang Catanduanes power situation and stock filling project. So, maraming ipinag-utos ang Pangulo.”

Specifically, Castro said the President wants the country to build new power plants to increase energy production, expand the transmission network and implement interventions to address issues delaying the construction of submarine cables and transmission lines.

According to Castro, President Marcos called for immediate action on power-related concerns, especially regarding the status of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ (NGCP) projects and current initiatives.

“Marami pang ibinilin ang Pangulo, nandito pa rin, ibinilin niya na dapat ang ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission) mag-conduct ng performance review of the NGCP and ensure that it completes all its deliverables,” said Castro.

“Mayroong napag-usapan tungkol sa improving the transmission system, accelerating and development of renewable energy.”

It may be recalled that the energy sector encountered power disruptions and supply shortages, particularly amid the continuing conflict in the Middle East and the placement of the Luzon and Visayas grids under red and yellow alerts last month.

Also in May, the Palawan Main Grid suffered a system-wide blackout, resulting in the interruption of electricity service across affected areas.

Catanduanes has also been experiencing rotational brownouts due to power supply issues.

As for the country’s fuel inventory, Castro said the DOE reported that, as of May 29, 2026, the Philippines had approximately 46 days’ worth of fuel reserves. Presidential News Desk