Biz Buzz: Still ‘drawing’ — PH link to Asean grid

Without energy interconnectivity with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) peers, it seems like the Philippines can relate to pop star queen Taylor Swift’s gut-wrenching lines: “You’re on your own, kid. You always have been.”

This was one of the concerns that Ronaldo Ramos, chief operating officer of AboitizPower Thermal Business Group’s Operated Assets, raised during a recent forum in Malaysia.

Talking to key energy officials from public and private sectors in the region, the Filipino executive said the challenge in connecting thousands of islands, with some of them still off-grid, mirrors the current situation of the local power sector in the Asean grid plans.

Ramos said the Philippines remains “farther away from the rest of its neighbors.”

“Up until we get support from other Asean neighbors, we’re on our own,” he said.

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The Asean Power Grid has only six bilateral interconnections operating—linking Singapore and Malaysia, Thailand and Malaysia, and via Thailand to Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam.

The map he presented showed broken lines, referring to planned transmission lines that could finally connect the Philippines to the regional grid. And just like the widely used word of Filipinos—the plan may sadly remain as a “drawing” without any concrete action in sight.