Siquijor province is optimistic of a stable power supply by December after President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. announced measures to end the power crisis on the island.
Lawyer Dale Tudtud, provincial administrator and concurrent tourism officer, told the Philippine News Agency in an interview yesterday that residents were delighted to hear the President’s promise to address the province’s power woes during his 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 28.
“We are happy that the President took notice of our humble island, even though we are the third smallest island in the country, and promised to fix the erratic power situation here [in Siquijor].”
Tudtud said with the President’s marching orders to agencies to address the power crisis, there is hope for Siquijor to bounce back and improve its tourism and economy.
In his SONA, Marcos said Siquijor’s power crisis should end and must not be repeated elsewhere in the country, stressing that he would not let this problem pass.
The incessant brownouts on the island earlier this year caused a lot of inconvenience and ended in a declaration of a state of calamity in Siquijor.
This prompted the President to visit the island-province, and in the course of an investigation that followed, he mentioned the discovery of inoperative power generators, expired permits, and a lack of systematized procurement of fuel and parts.
The Chief Executive said he has directed the Department of Energy, the National Electrification Administration (NEA), and the Energy Regulatory Commission to undertake measures for the resumption of normal power supply in Siquijor by the end of the year.
“Titiyakin naming na maitatag agad ang mga pasilidad para sa pangmatagalang lunas sa kanilang problema sa kuryente,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tudtud said they are awaiting an announcement by August 5 on an upcoming supplemental power supply agreement between the NEA and power firms in Siquijor.
He said they hope for new players on the island, noting that “it has just been about a month since the President’s visit here, and now we are again experiencing some brownouts,” although not as lengthy as in the previous months.
He said the Siquijor Power Corp. (Sipcor) failed to attend a meeting last week with the local disaster council but did not “have the courtesy” to decline the invitation or inform them of their non-attendance.
Sipcor attended another meeting, this time initiated by the Sangguniang Panglalawigan (Provincial Board), where they explained the cause of the latest brownouts, citing operational problems, such as broken gensets, Tudtud said.
“It is bewildering because Sipcor already knows that ERC is looking into the power crisis and has sent show cause orders but the problem is still around.”
A “band-aid” solution was to bring in a genset from Palawan to ramp up the current power supply in Siquijor, but Tudtud said they want a more permanent solution, which the President has ordered.
Tudtud said they are also hopeful that the country’s bid for a renewable energy plan to be in place by 2030 would include Siquijor, which is reliant on tourism as a major source of income. (PNA)