The government has ramped up its cyber security surveillance of the country’s power distribution system with the signing of a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the National Grid Corporation of Philippines (NGCP) and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (Nica).
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. witnessed the forging of the accord held at the Malacañang Palace on Monday.
During the event, the President lauded NGCP President and CEO Anthony Almeda for taking the lead in forging the new accord, which he said, will help allay concerns on the security of NGCP’s power system.
“I thank of course Anthony—Anthony is known to me because we were classmates together. We were studying economics actually, [at the] Asia Pacific. But pareho kaming hindi nagtapos [but both of us were not able to finish]. But I know him well and I’m happy that he has taken the lead in this,” Marcos said.
“There have been fears that the involvement of any foreign entity in our power transmission system would present a security threat to the Philippines,” he added.
Marcos and Almeda were classmates at the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) in Pasig for a special certificate program in economics.
In 2019, some lawmakers were alarmed after China’s State Grid Corporation was able to get a 40 percent stake in NGCP, which is a private consortium.
They warned it could give China the capability to shut down the country’s power grid.
“Since NGCP is a critical part of our security, of our ability to continue to function as a society, then this is an important day because now we have made more robust the defenses against any possible attacks on our power systems, on any other of the elements in our everyday lives that require power; and for that matter, that require the exchange of secure information amongst ourselves in society,” Marcos said.
Under the new MOU, NGCP will provide technical aid to NICA especially on energy-related security to help the latter’s cybersecurity measures.
Meanwhile, NICA will help in the protection of the nationwide power transmission assets of NGCP.
Marcos said his administration would be engaging in more similar measures to further improve the country’s cybersecurity.
“There are those such as today that we will do formally and there are those that we will do quietly. But nonetheless, it is something we must continue to develop. And it is a good development, it is a good example for the rest of our infrastructure, and I talk about hard and soft infrastructure,” the President said.
Image credits: PNA/Rolando Mailo