PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Wednesday said the government is deploying emergency generators to Siquijor to ease a power crisis that has left parts of the island with electricity for as little as two hours a day as he criticized private power provider Siquijor Island Power Corp. (SIPCOR) for failing to meet its obligations.
To immediately restore a reliable supply, the administration has ordered the transfer of two large generator sets from Palawan to Siquijor, following improvements in the power situation in the Central Visayan province.
The sets are expected to arrive within 24 hours, which will stabilize electricity across the island once operational. The President, however, stressed this is only a stopgap measure.
“The assessment is that SIPCOR has to live up to their commitments,” Mr. Marcos told reporters in Siquijor during the inspection of the SIPCOR power plant, according to a transcript from the Presidential Palace.
The inspection followed the declaration of a state of calamity on the island due to power outages.
“There are many shortcomings. We have to repair damage that has been caused by the collapse of the power supply, and that is the schedule we have given ourselves — six months.”
The President guaranteed there would be a long-term solution to the power shortage in the island province in six months.
“No more of these piecemeal, stopgap measures that we’ve been forced to implement. The government will do its part. SIPCOR must do theirs,” he added in Filipino.
SIPCOR is a subsidiary of the Villar Group’s Prime Asset Ventures, led by former Senate President and richest man in the country, Manuel B. Villar, Jr.
Head of public relations at Prime Asset Ventures, Inc., Mavic Chavez Ching, did not immediately respond to a Viber chat seeking comment.
Siquijor, long known for its mystical charm, has in recent years emerged as a rising tourist destination. Mr. Marcos warned that the continued power disruptions could derail its economic momentum.
“The people who are the victims of this situation are ordinary people of Siquijor, and they cannot go about their business,” he added. “We are losing — they are losing that opportunity to develop due to the electricity shortage.”
Calls have grown among Siquijor residents for the government to consider other electricity suppliers.
The president said, “everything is on the table” as long as it leads to the best long-term outcome.
The Department of Energy, in coordination with local officials, is expected to lead the planning and negotiations for long-term reforms in Siquijor’s power infrastructure.
SIPCOR on Tuesday said it is working to fully restore electricity in the province. It has so far completed maintenance on one of its service units, providing an increase of 7,550 kilowatts to its capacity. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana
