Siquijor: The growing power crisis in the Central Visayas province of Siquijor has resulted in the declaration of a state of calamity, an official said Friday. Lawyer Dale Tudtud, provincial administrator and concurrent provincial tourism officer, highlighted the urgent need for intervention due to the inadequate power supply affecting all sectors in Siquijor.
According to Philippines News Agency, the power outages have led to interruptions in water supply and disrupted services in banks, government offices, and business establishments. The declaration of a state of calamity was announced on Wednesday following a resolution passed by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).
Tudtud explained that the Sangguniang Panlalawigan unanimously approved the PDRRMO's recommendation on Tuesday. However, Gov. Jake Villa is expected to sign an executive order next week. The state of calamity declaration allows the provincial government to use its quick response fund to mitigate the crisis, including procuring generators.
Since September last year, the island has experienced brownouts lasting 10 hours or longer, with the power provider, Prosielco, and the supplier, Siquijor Island Power Corporation (Sipcor), blaming each other. Tudtud emphasized the need for adequate power supply regardless of the ongoing disputes between Prosielco and Sipcor.
The provincial government is seeking intervention from the National Electrification Administration (NEA) to provide at least an additional two megawatts (MW) of power to bridge the deficit. Recent power outages have lasted up to 10 or more hours, with Prosielco citing generator breakdowns and maintenance activities.
Siquijor's current needs peak at 9 MW, but the island sometimes receives less than 5 MW for electric consumers. Meanwhile, the Department of Energy (DOE) stated it is investigating and meeting with relevant agencies to address the power supply issues.
The DOE's investigation confirmed consumer complaints and emphasized the need for coordinated action. A joint assessment revealed technical, operational, and regulatory issues preventing full utilization of Sipcor's generating capacity. Sipcor has an installed capacity of 11.580 MW, but only 8.816 MW is contracted to Prosielco, contributing to recurring power interruptions.
The DOE recommends fully utilizing Sipcor's installed capacity and sourcing additional generation from other providers. It also advised Prosielco, with NEA's guidance, to update its power supply procurement and distribution development plans. NEA has been tasked to coordinate with the Palawan Electric Cooperative for a 2 MW modular generator set transfer to Siquijor.
