THE NATIONAL Power Corp. (Napocor) is now delivering round-the-clock electricity service to the island of Capul in Northern Samar and the island of Maripipi in Biliran, the state-led agency said on Tuesday.

In a statement, Napocor said its Capul diesel power plant (DPP) and Maripipi DPP are serving 2,300 households in both islands.

”These power plants have huge reserve capacities and therefore can accommodate round-the-clock operations,” said Pete Llorente, a department manager at the agency’s Visayan operations.

Napocor said the Capul plant, which used to supply 16 hours of electricity daily, has started operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week since Nov. 1.

Maripipi’s 16-hour operations, meanwhile, turned 24 hours on Nov. 14.

Mr. Llorente said the Capul plant has a dependable capacity of 290 kilowatts (kW) and a peak demand of 235 kW, leaving a reverse of 55 kW.

The Maripipi plant has a 664-kW dependable capacity and 177-kW peak demand, giving the island of 15 barangays 487 kW in reserve capacity.

Napocor said Maripipi is also set to receive new generating sets next year as part of the agency’s capacity addition program.

The agency said Capul, a small island in the northern tip of Northern Samar, derived its name from Acapulco, when trade between Manila and Acapulco was thriving. Locals live by coconut and rice farming, fishing and its thriving tourism industry.

Maripipi, on the other hand, is a 27-kilometer island northwest off the coast of the province of Biliran. “It is home to breathtaking mountains, clear waters, and waterfalls which makes it a good destination for tourists,” Napocor said. — Victor V. Saulon

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR