DURING a public hearing conducted by the Senate Committee on Energy on Wednesday, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go expressed his concern over the persistent power supply outages in the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) in Davao del Norte.

“Concerned lang po ako dahil kapitbahay rin po namin ito. Gusto ko lang po magsalita sa issue ng brownout sa Samal bilang isang Dabawenyo, nasa harapan lamang namin ito,” said Go.

The senator highlighted the long-standing problem of power crises in the country’s energy sector. He pointed out that previous discussions in the committee had addressed brownouts in Mindoro, Palawan, and now the power supply crisis in Occidental Mindoro, Panay Island, and Samal Island.

Expressing his disappointment, Go stated, “It is disheartening to know that despite our efforts to resolve the power supply issues in our country, nothing seems to change. What is the real problem here?”

“May mga lugar na walang brownout, meron talagang lugar na hanggang ngayon problema pa rin ang brownout. Kung sa Davao, walang brownout, bakit sa island na harapan lang nito mismo, magkakaroon ng ilang oras na brownout, 8 hours, 6 hours?,” he cited.

“This crisis has far-reaching consequences that deeply impact the lives of our fellow Filipinos and the progress of our country. Malaking bagay po ito kapag tinatamaan ng brownout ang ating mga kababayan sa iba’t ibang lugar. Mahirap, mahirap, talagang apektado ang lahat,” added Go.

Go also emphasized the impact of the power crisis on the tourism industry in Samal Island, the primary tourist destination in the Davao Region, saying, “For the information of the body, I was informed that some resorts in Samal are already closing down due to energy crisis in the island.”

“This gravely affects not only the resort businesses but also the economy of Samal island since its income heavily relies on their tourism,” he added.

“The present energy crisis in Samal island will soon result to an economic crisis if not solved on time. Closure of resorts means displacement of workers working in these resorts. It also means less food on the dining table of their families,” he said.

Highlighting the project, Go then mentioned the Northern Davao Electric Cooperative, Incorporated (NORDECO) and its 14.7-kilometer submarine cable project worth P1.1 billion, which was supposed to address the power shortage in Samal Island.

However, he noted that the project, originally expected to be operational by the first quarter of 2023, was still non-operational by the end of May.

Addressing a representative from NORDECO, Go sought clarification on the progress of the project.

“Naiintindihan ko naman po na ginagawa ninyo ang lahat ng makakaya ninyo, pero napakahirap po na magtiis po sila habang ilang buwan na po silang nagtitiis. Baka pwede niyo namang magawan ng paraan na mapabilis, at ano ba talagang problema, since this involves loan subsidized by its consumer-members,” he urged.

He also asked about any police report filed regarding the theft and what measures the electric cooperative was taking to address the issue.

“What is the electric cooperative doing right now to address this? Bakit sa ibang parte ng Davao walang brownout? Bakit d’yan po sa inyo, sa harapan, bakit hindi ninyo kayang magbigay ng maayos na serbisyo sa ating mga kababayan eh willing naman po silang magbayad ng tama sa inyo?” asked Go.

In response, Jolly Ann C. Kuan, Manager of the Corporate Planning Department at NORDECO, apologized for the inconvenience caused by the interruptions and assured the senator that a 2-megawatt generator set would be delivered to the island on May 26 to address the current power deficiency.

She further explained that the energization of the submarine cable project was scheduled for June 30 this year providing a long-term solution to the power crisis.

Expressing his gratitude for NORDECO’s response, Go then requested that the cooperative expedite their efforts, considering the hardships faced by the affected residents.

“Ma’am, ang pakiusap ko lang po sa inyo, naintindihan ko naman po ang may-ari ng NORDECO, mga cooperative members, consumers, ang atin dito ay paano po ninyo… naiintindihan ko na sinisikap ninyo rin po ang lahat ng inyong makakaya,” remarked Go.

“Pero sana po ay bilisan ninyo po ng kaunti, dahil kawawa naman po ang mga kababayan natin na willing naman magbayad ng tama basta mabigyan lang sila ng maayos na serbisyo. Sana po magawan ninyo lang ng paraan, the soonest possible po ma’am,” he urged.