A TASK force created by the Department of Energy (DOE) assured that there is enough electricity during the elections belying alarmist news reports.
The Energy Task Force Election (ETFE) met for final preparedness and coordination ahead of the national and local elections (NLE) on Monday, 9 May 2022.
“The entire energy family has been continuously working to ensure uninterrupted energy supply before, during, and after the elections. We will protect the vote of the Filipino people,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi emphasized.
The ETFE was created by Department Circular No. 2018-05-0014 to support the conduct of free, honest, and fair elections by ensuring the steady availability of adequate and reliable energy supply.
The polls on Monday will be the third election to be covered by the ETFE. Chaired by the DOE, its core group is comprised of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and members of the Philippine energy family, such as the National Electrification Administration (NEA), National Power Corporation (NPC), National Transmission Corporation, Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC), National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) Corporation, Philippine Electricity Market Corporation, Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines, and the Manila Electric Company (Meralco).
During the meeting, DOE Assistant Secretary Redentor Delola led the discussion on the ETFE’s preparedness measures, which included the power outlook during the elections, the ETFE’s inspections/site visits at the Comelec facilities, the security of energy facilities, and oil industry preparations.
For security concerns, the ETFE also worked closely with the Security Group composed of the National Security Council, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Philippine Coast Guard; Comelec; the Department of Interior and Local Government; the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity; the Department of National Defense; and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s (BARMM) Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources (MENRE), and Ministry of Public Order and Safety (MPOS).
On 8 April 2022, the Security Group issued a Joint Letter Directive to ensure the physical security of energy facilities, and came up with a consolidated security plan, accompanied by their corresponding implementation plans.
In addition, the DOE Central Office and its field offices spearheaded physical inspections of Comelec facilities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao to ensure, among others, that there were no faulty connections.
The Comelec has also sent the ETFE lists of unenergized voting and polling centers, which were validated by the concerned distribution utilities (DUs). These centers would be provided with generator sets and solar lamps on loan from the DOE.
A comprehensive directory of all focal persons from the Comelec, as well as the electric cooperatives and DUs was likewise developed to facilitate quick response to concerns that may arise.
The ETFE also formally activated the Energy Command Center, together with the NGCP, NPC, and NEA Command Centers. Subsequently, the ETFE assigned on-site personnel in the Comelec Monitoring Center, and virtual DOE personnel from the Central and Field Offices in the NGCP’s Virtual Command Center.
Then on Wednesday, May 4, the NGCP and the ETFE conducted the first dry run of the Virtual Command Center’s monitoring platform.
In terms of communications, the ETFE Secretariat created a 24/7 group on Viber that consists of the ETFE Core Group Members, supporting organizations, and the Security Group to ensure the real-time and centralized flow of communications. A separate 24/7 Viber group was likewise formed for the Security Group, which includes BARMM MENRE and MPOS that would solely focus on security matters, particularly potential sabotage attempts on energy facilities.