The Marcos administration is moving beyond short-term remedies for Mindoro’s recurring power woes, backing a series of major infrastructure projects aimed at integrating the island into the national grid and securing its long-term energy future.
At the center of the effort is a newly signed agreement among the Maharlika Investment Corporation, National Power Corp., National Transmission Corp., and National Electrification Administration to rehabilitate and modernize Oriental Mindoro’s transmission network.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the initiative seeks to strengthen the reliability and resilience of Mindoro’s isolated power system while preparing it for eventual connection to the Luzon grid.
“Ang layunin din po nito ay to improve reliability and resiliency of the Mindoro small grid, support the island’s long-term energy requirements, and lay groundwork for eventual interconnection with the national grid,” Castro said during a Palace briefing on Monday.
The move reflects a broader shift in government policy from emergency power interventions toward structural investments designed to address the root causes of recurring electricity shortages in island provinces.
A key component of the strategy is the proposed P23.9-billion submarine cable project of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), which will transmit electricity from Batangas to Oriental Mindoro.
Scheduled for completion by January 2028, the project represents the first phase of the larger P90.6-billion Batangas-Mindoro Interconnection and Backbone Project.
Once completed, the interconnection is expected to reduce Mindoro’s dependence on costly and often unreliable isolated generation facilities while improving access to more stable power supplies from the Luzon grid.
The broader backbone project, targeted for completion by 2030, is also expected to support future investments in tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, and renewable energy by providing the reliable electricity infrastructure needed for economic expansion.
Energy analysts have long identified grid connectivity as one of the most effective solutions for improving power security in island provinces. For Mindoro, the planned upgrades could mark a turning point, transforming a historically vulnerable power system into one that is better connected, more resilient, and capable of supporting long-term growth.
