San Simon Mayor Abundio Punsalan Jr. on Monday lifted his closure order on the 230-kiloVolt sub-station of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) in an industrial park there.

The mayor lifted the Sept. 9 closure order after Pampanga Gov. Dennis Pineda and Vice Governor Lilia Pineda ordered a thorough review of documents and a hearing on the matter.

“You can start anytime. Ang advice po ni Governor at Vice Governor Nanay ang sinusunod namin. San Simon is welcoming the NGCP,” the mayor said on Monday’s hearing at the Capitol.

In Monday’s hearing, the NGCP presented its land title over a 10-hectare property it purchased inside the Global Asiana Business Park 2, convincing Punsalan of the firm’s ownership of the property and its location in an industrial zone.

Capitol leaders intervened as parts of efforts to help investors and to avert a looming power shortage as a possible result of the delay in the construction of the facility.

“Kailangang-kailangan ang sub-station na yun para para hindi magkaproblema ang present at future investors,” Vice Governor Pineda said in the hearing attended by officials of the Department of Interior and Local Government.

Atty. Cynthia Alabanza, NGCP assistant vice president for public relations, said the firm had complete permits and clearances.

She thanked Governor and Vice Governor Pineda for helping review the process, noting that the closure order delayed critical construction works.

According to the NGCP, the San Simon 230kV Substation Project was certified as an Energy Project of National Significance (EPNS) by the Department of Energy in 2019. It said the project aims to reinforce the reliability and stability of power transmission services in the Luzon grid, by serving as alternate source for customers connected to the existing Mexico Substation.

The San Simon local government should create a multi-partite monitoring team that includes the Environmental Management Bureau, recommended Engr. Arthur Punsalan, Provincial Government-Environment and Natural Resources Officer. -END

NGCP is a Filipino-led, privately owned company in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid, led by majority shareholders and Vice Chairman of the Board Henry Sy, Jr. and Co-Vice Chairman Robert Coyiuto, Jr. It is the sole operating asset of Synergy Grid and Development Philippines, Inc. (PIO Pampanga)