About 98,000 Meralco customers remained without electricity as of 10 a.m. Sunday as the enhanced southwest monsoon triggered flooding and damaged power facilities in several areas.
Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has backed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s call to amend the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), but cautioned that scrapping system loss charges will require reforms that protect both consumers and the long-term stability of the country's power grid.
The Philippines must do more than sign trade deals—it must help smaller businesses turn them into export sales, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (PhilExport) President Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. said.
The Department of Agriculture is urging lawmakers to approve its P198.4-billion proposed 2027 budget, noting farmers and fisherfolk now face rising costs, climate risks, and global economic pressures.
The Department of Energy will proceed with its updated bidding rules for brownfield coal resource areas despite opposition from key industry player Semirara Mining and Power Corp. Energy Secretary Sharon Garin affirmed that the revised terms will apply uniformly to all prospective bidders, as the government seeks to prioritize domestic fuel supply over foreign exports.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said Wednesday that the proposed plant would have an initial annual production capacity of 200,000 units, serving both domestic and export markets. Construction is targeted to begin in the first quarter of 2027, with completion expected within 12 to 18 months.