Siquijor’s energy supply now fully restored
Siquijor province, which has been making a name in the tourism sector, is fully energized again after its power supplier completed fixing the damage to its system.
In a statement on Monday, Siquijor Island Power Corp. (Sipcor) said it has regained its power plant’s guaranteed dependable capacity after deploying “a series of corrective measures.”
The company said the maintenance service for a power generation set was completed last week. To further boost available capacity, Sipcor has also tapped two rental generation set units.
“These efforts have increased the plant’s total dependable capacity to 10,800 kilowatts, well above the island’s peak demand,” the company said.
The group has vowed to boost its technical operations to ensure “a steady and reliable” electricity supply, especially as the island records increasing economic activity driven by the tourism boom there.
The firm also noted rising population as one of the factors contributing to the demand growth.
Sipcor is the only power supplier of the Province of Siquijor Electric Cooperative Inc. (Prosielco), which distributes the electricity across the province.
State of calamity
This left the residents and business establishments, many of which cater to tourists, with no power source alternative when Sipcor failed to deliver electricity, causing crippling outages on the island starting in May, with most consumers only having about two to three hours of electricity each day.
On June 3, the provincial government led by Gov. Jake Vincent Villa placed Siquijor under a state of calamity due to its power issues.
The power crisis on the island prompted a visit from President Marcos on June 11 who asked Sipcor to immediately restore power on the island, noting its vital role to the thriving tourism industry in the province.
According to Agoda’s annual ranking report released earlier this week, Siquijor Island was named as one of the top destinations among international travelers.
The Department of Energy (DOE) earlier said the power interruptions were caused by “technical, operational and regulatory issues,” which prevented the full utilization of Sipcor’s generating capacity.
The current demand in the province was recorded at 10.51 megawatts (MW).
The DOE directed the electric cooperative of the province to tap additional power providers to bolster its supply.
Mr. Marcos, during his June 11 visit, also gave Sipcor six months to look for a permanent solution to the power crisis and no longer resort to using emergency power generators.
“Six months from now, we will then impose whatever new arrangements we have to do, so that six months from now, we do not have to resort to emergency generator sets. Sipcor had to live up to its commitment,” he said.
Sipcor currently has a 20-year power supply agreement with Prosielco.
Sipcor is providing 12.86 MW of power through bunker-fired power generation facilities and power stations in its two power plants in the province.
