By Nimfa L. Estrellado ERC Director Heiddi Venecia R. Barrozo (PIA) LUCENA CITY, Quezon — While its neighbor, the island province of Mar...
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| ERC Director Heiddi Venecia R. Barrozo (PIA) |
LUCENA CITY, Quezon — While its neighbor, the island province of Marinduque, eagerly awaits a reliable power supply, Quezon Province is quietly taking on the role of the Luzon Grid’s crucial gateway through the landmark Quezon–Marinduque Interconnection Project (QMIP). This indispensable infrastructure endeavor, with Quezon Province serving as the primary transmission hub, is the key to ending the isolated island’s energy crisis.
The project was formally approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) in October 2024, signifying the regulatory greenlight to physically link Marinduque to the stable and competitive energy market of the main Luzon power grid. This endorsement guarantees the project's long-term sustainability and allows the NGCP to proceed with its capital expenditure recovery plan.
As of October 2025, the land-based construction on the Quezon side is reportedly 85% complete, ensuring the project is on track for its target commercial operation in December 2025. This critical phase involves setting up transmission infrastructure to channel power from the main Luzon grid toward the coast.
The QMIP is a key component of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP)'s mandate to interconnect off-grid areas, representing an initial estimated investment of approximately ₱5.32 billion. The project's cost is funded through the NGCP’s capital expenditure program, which is eventually recovered through transmission fees paid by all grid users.
The project's most critical components begin squarely within Quezon, where NGCP is establishing the facilities to anchor the system to the national grid. This process starts with the construction of a 1.5 km section of 69 kV overhead transmission lines that extend from the General Luna Substation to the Cable Terminal Station (CTS) in Quezon.
This segment is the precise transition point where the vast energy reserves of the Luzon Grid—a network substantially supplied by major power plants, many of which are located within Quezon itself—are channeled toward the island. This preparatory work, particularly at the General Luna Substation, ensures the seamless integration and stable dispatch of the 69 kV power into the existing national power network.
From this terminal in Quezon, the project launches its defining feature: a high-specification 22.0 km 69 kV three-core 500 mm2 XLPE submarine cable. The cable route was meticulously designed to avoid critical marine habitats, such as coral reefs and deep-sea fishing grounds, with NGCP employing specialized marine vessels to minimize environmental impact during the laying process across Tayabas Bay.
This technical marvel will be carefully laid to the Sta. Cruz CTS in Marinduque, specifically designed for the reliable transfer of bulk power. The cable is rated to transmit up to 50 MW, easily covering the island's current demand and providing ample room for future growth. The successful installation of this submarine link is the project's single biggest engineering challenge.
The urgency of this project is rooted in Marinduque’s precarious energy situation. The island's energy demand, which currently fluctuates between 16.42 MW and 17.72 MW, is dangerously close to exceeding the total dependable capacity of its existing, aging diesel generators, which can reliably produce only about 18 MW.
This razor-thin operating margin leaves the island highly vulnerable to frequent, crippling outages. Furthermore, this heavy reliance on costly imported diesel fuel forces consumers to bear residential electricity rates that stood at an exorbitant ₱11.848/kWh as of September 2025—a rate considered the highest in the entire MIMAROPA region.
ERC Director Heiddi Venecia R. Barrozo affirmed the project's transformative power, stating, “The ERC firmly believes that every Marinduqueño deserves access to stable and reliable electricity because it is an essential service and it is a key enabler of economic growth and improved quality of life.” This regulatory endorsement stresses the commitment to improved service quality.
By seamlessly integrating into the Luzon Grid, the QMIP will effectively end the island’s costly dependence on missionary electrification subsidies and introduce greater competition and stability into the local energy market. This shift is expected to significantly lower costs for residential and commercial consumers.
Once the bulk power is delivered to the Sta. Cruz substation, the local utility, the Marinduque Electric Cooperative (MARELCO), will then be responsible for receiving and distributing the power across the island's local 69 kV and lower voltage network. MARELCO’s subsequent transmission to homes and businesses completes the link, finally delivering stable, lower-cost energy to the end-users.
The efforts originating from the Quezon side, specifically coordinated by the National Power Corporation (NPC) Luzon Operations Division, have ensured that local distribution systems, transmission lines, and substations on the Marinduque side have already been upgraded. This logistical readiness highlights the collaborative effort in the Southern Tagalog region to facilitate this massive change.
For Quezon, its anchor role in the QMIP further solidifies its strategic importance, demonstrating its function not just as a power-generating province, but as a central infrastructural pillar of the national energy network, linking off-grid islands to the core. This commitment underscores the province's vital position in the national power infrastructure and its contribution to energy equity across the archipelago.
More broadly, the QMIP is critical to realizing President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to achieve 100 percent electrification of all Philippine islands by 2030. This progress ensures that reliable and affordable electricity becomes a foundation for local economic growth, boosting the island’s tourism industry, and enhancing overall agricultural productivity. Quezon thus acts as a key facilitator of this long-awaited progress for the entire Southern Tagalog region, setting a precedent for interconnecting other isolated islands.
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