DAVAO CITY (Aug. 6) — The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) has welcomed the Davao City Council’s call for stronger collaboration among government agencies and power industry stakeholders to address rising electricity prices, reaffirming its commitment to pursue long-term energy security and more affordable power for Mindanao.

In a statement issued Thursday, MinDA Chairperson Secretary Leo Tereso A. Magno said the agency appreciates the concern raised by Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang and the Davao City Council over the impact of high electricity rates on households, businesses, and the regional economy.

Magno said MinDA has consistently advocated for cost-effective electricity through the expansion of power generation, stronger transmission infrastructure, accelerated renewable energy investments, and improved coordination among concerned agencies. He noted that while Mindanao currently has an excess in power supply, electricity prices are affected by several factors, including the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), fuel prices, the generation mix, scheduled and forced outages of power plants, transmission constraints, and market dispatch.

“As such, energy security and electricity affordability must be pursued together,” Magno said.

As chair of the Mindanao Power Monitoring Committee (MPMC) under Executive Order No. 81, with the Department of Energy serving as co-chair, Magno said MinDA recently convened an inter-agency meeting attended by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), National Electrification Administration (NEA), National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR), National Transmission Corporation (TRANSCO), Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM), and the Association of Mindanao Rural Electric Cooperatives (AMRECO) to assess the power situation and identify measures to help mitigate high electricity costs.

Magno also encouraged distribution utilities to explore additional long-term Power Supply Agreements where these are commercially viable, legally compliant, and beneficial to consumers. He said stable and competitively priced baseload supply, coupled with the accelerated integration of renewable energy and battery energy storage systems, would help reduce exposure to WESM price volatility.

He added that MinDA continues to push strategic reforms, including the rehabilitation of the Agus-Pulangi Hydropower Complex, timely implementation of committed energy projects, strengthening of transmission infrastructure, promotion of investments through the Mindanao Green Energy Auction Program, and the development of bioenergy, waste-to-energy, battery energy storage systems, and distributed renewable energy resources.

Magno likewise welcomed Dayanghirang’s call for collective action, saying the challenge of addressing high electricity prices requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-industry approach anchored on sound policy, responsible investment, and evidence-based decision-making.

He assured the public that MinDA remains committed to coordinating initiatives that will ensure sufficient, reliable, and more affordable electricity to support Mindanao’s economic growth and improve the quality of life of every Mindanawon.