138kV line to boost Boracay power reliability

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) assured that electricity supply in Boracay will become more stable and uninterrupted once the 138-kilovolt (kV) Nabas–Caticlan–Boracay transmission line is energized later this year.

Engr. Lazaro de La Cruz, senior district manager for Visayas Operations and Maintenance, said they are targeting to energize the new transmission line in August, which will directly connect power from Nabas to Boracay.

He said the new power line will provide higher reliability, stable voltage, and sufficient capacity to meet the island’s growing electricity demand.

“By that time, on the NGCP side, we are looking at no power outage in Boracay. No deficiency in terms of capacity, transfer capacity of NGCP, and also we can maintain reliable and stable voltage in Boracay through the 138kV line,” he said.

De la Cruz explained that the 138kV line serves as an N-1 redundancy, providing an alternate path during faults, maintenance, or outages to boost system reliability without replacing existing facilities.

“(The existing Nabas-Caticlan-Boracay 69kV line) is just a redundancy of the future of Boracay,” he added.

The existing Nabas–Caticlan–Boracay 69kV line currently serves as the main transmission path to Boracay Island, incorporating the Unidos–Caticlan 69kV line, a submarine cable across the channel, and an underground cable to Boracay.

In preparation for the energization of the 138kV power line, De la Cruz said one of the two 100-megavolt-ampere (MVA) transformers at the Boracay substation will also be energized to improve electricity distribution across the island.

The substation will step down 138kV power from Nabas for distribution through Aklan Electric Cooperative, surpassing the existing 69kV setup and backed by the Nabas–Caticlan 69kV line connected to the Caticlan substation.

“After the energization of the 2×100 MVA, that is the future of Boracay,” he stressed.

Aside from enhancing reliability and resilience, De la Cruz said the upgrades will accommodate demand growth, new power plants, improved power delivery, and better power quality.

Boracay currently has a power demand of about 27–30 megawatts (MW), partly driven by evening generator use due to voltage problems.

“But after this, it will correct, on our side, even now we are not undervoltage. The receiving of the Malay substation is still within the standard,” De la Cruz said.

Since last year, NGCP has completed supporting infrastructure for the project.

On Dec. 23, 2025, the company installed a temporary bypass overhead transmission line with a 20-foot offset to mitigate high-tide wave splash.

By Feb. 13, 2026, NGCP completed the rehabilitation of the Unidos–Caticlan line and installed new underground cables, correcting defects from the AKELCO transfer nearly a month ahead of schedule.

The transmission upgrade is expected to support Boracay’s tourism-driven economy, which relies heavily on stable electricity for hotels, restaurants, transport, and water systems.