Power outage hits Energy chief’s press conference

A sudden power interruption occurred in the middle of a press conference led by Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla and other officials of the Department of Energy (DOE) on Thursday noon.

The power outage lasted nearly 10 minutes before the electricity supply was brought back using a backup power generator.

Lotilla explained that the brownout was “localized in the building,” adding that “maybe it’s because our connections cannot take simultaneously all of your equipment.”

BROWNOUT! Biglaang power outage, na inabot ng halos 10 minuto, sa kasagsagan ng press conference ng Department of Energy. pic.twitter.com/QhhStCXZI4

— Ted Cordero (@Ted_Cordero) May 15, 2025

The press conference was held at the Philippine National Oil Company-Exploration Corp. building inside the DOE’s compound in Taguig City.

He further explained that “this building could not handle the power demand surge from all of your equipment… We really have to take it into account next time.”

The Energy Department, meanwhile, said a repair team from the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) is already fixing the busted fuse box.

Energy Secretary Popo Lotilla pinaliwanag na isolated incident ang nangyaring brownout sa DOE building. pic.twitter.com/XgN1G44aX4

— Ted Cordero (@Ted_Cordero) May 15, 2025

In a separate statement, Meralco said it “immediately deployed crews onsite.”

“It appears to be a problem with loadside facility, as our crews found a blown fuse at the building. Meralco is currently assisting the DOE to identify the cause of the trouble and to restore service the soonest possible time,” the power distributor said.

Nevertheless, Lotilla assured the public that the country’s power system is stable and reliable.

“I think, from what you have seen during the election period and during critical times the power was on, I think that’s more important… It’s more important to look at a more general picture rather than this isolated [incident],” the Energy chief said. —VAL/VBL, GMA Integrated News