The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) released an advisory maintaining Red and Yellow alerts over Luzon grids today, May 14,  due to power supply and power reserves shortages.

Areas under red alert may experience power outages beginning at 4:00 p.m. and lasts until 10:00 p.m., while Yellow alert is from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. 

As explained by the NGCP, a red alert status is issued when there is an insufficient power supply to meet the consumers’ demand and transmission grid’s regulating requirement, while a yellow alert status is issued when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid’s contingency requirement.

In its advisory, NGCP said 21 plants are on forced outage since January 2026, while one plant has been unavailable since 2019, three since 2015, and two since 2014. 

Meanwhile, 14 power plants were operating on derated capacities or below their maximum power, resulting in a total unavailable capacity of 4,242.5 megawatts.

As a result, according to Manila Electric Company (Meralco), the country’s largest electricity distributor, nearly a million (920,000) of their customers are affected and experiencing power outages during peak hours.

In response, the NGCP has been continuously encouraging the public to conserve electricity through its “Tag-init Tipid Tips”, which includes:

• Cleaning aircon filter and condenser every 6 months
• Keeping doors locked while an aircon is on
• Pulling out electronic devices when not in use
• Defrost the refrigerator when the ice reaches more than ¼ inch
• Keeping the refrigerator doors closed

These measures may help regulate electricity consumption and reduce the risk of power shortages and outages, especially during peak hours.