NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday, June 11, ordered the National Electrification Administration (NEA) to find another power supplier to help meet Siquijor’s demands amid the island province’s worsening energy crisis.
Marcos said the solution must not be limited to diesel-fired supply or come solely from the island’s lone power producer, the Villar-controlled Siquijor Island Power Corporation (SI Power).
Siquijor’s actual daily power need is around 11 megawatts (MW), but SI Power only provides 5 to 7 MW, according to provincial administrator Dale Tudtud. The situation resulted in rotational outages in the province. As of May, the daily blackouts in Siquijor lasted 20 to 22 hours.
The crisis forced the capitol to declare the province under a state of calamity. Siquijor Governor Jake Vincent Villa also called for the province’s lone power distributor to replace SI Power.
Marcos directed NEA to initiate a competitive bidding process for the additional power supply, open to all available technologies. This includes exploring various sources of power generation, with a focus on long-term sustainable supply, whether diesel or alternative energy sources. He gave NEA six months to do this.
He said the national government was serious about ending Siquijor’s energy woes, especially as electricity demand rises alongside its booming tourism industry.
NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda, meanwhile, assured that steps were already being taken to address the problem.
Marcos’ directive also puts pressure on SI Power, which replaced the National Power Corporation (Napocor) as Siquijor’s energy provider, to improve its performance.
He said SI Power “has to come up with solutions. It has to live up to its commitment.”
SI Power is owned by the Prime Asset Ventures Incorporated (PAVI) of the Villar family. The firm has a 25-year supply contract signed in 2015 with the island’s sole electric cooperative and power distributor, the Province of Siquijor Island Electric Cooperative (Prosielco). – Rappler.com