Church leader demands accountability over Visayas power crisis

BACOLOD CITY — San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, who heads Caritas Philippines, has demanded accountability from authorities over recurring power outages plaguing the Visayas region, urging policymakers to accelerate the transition to distributed renewable energy systems.

The bishop's statement addresses persistent grid instability that has caused significant disruptions to communities and businesses across the Visayas. Alminaza cited recent findings that underscore the urgency of the power crisis facing the region, which has become an obstacle to economic development and public welfare.

Alminaza's call for accountability targets those responsible for energy planning and infrastructure management, suggesting that systemic failures have contributed to the recurring blackouts. He emphasized that solutions requiring long-term institutional changes and investment in renewable energy sources are necessary to prevent future crises.

The push for distributed renewable energy reflects growing recognition among church leaders and civil society that traditional centralized power systems may be inadequate for the region's needs. Alminaza's intervention adds religious and moral weight to ongoing debates over energy policy in the Philippines, as stakeholders seek to balance economic growth with sustainable development.