President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said Siquijor’s power supply is now sufficient, less than two months after he pledged in his 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA) to resolve the island’s power shortage.
Marcos led the ceremonial switch-on of the 17.8-megawatt Siquijor Power Plants at the Province of Siquijor Electric Cooperative (PROSIELCO) facility in Larena town on Friday, Sept. 5, .
He said the new capacity more than doubles the island’s demand of around nine megawatts.
“As we return to Siquijor, we can now guarantee that the power supply here is now even in excess because if the demand is nine megawatts, the supply is now 17, so there will no longer be a shortage”, Marcos said.
“Now, I am proud to say that the supply here in Siquijor is sufficient,” he added.
Residents and businesses had long complained of recurring blackouts lasting up to 10 hours.
An inspection on June 11 at the Siquijor Island Power Corporation (SIPCOR) found its facilities inadequate to meet the island’s electricity needs.
Further investigation by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) led to the revocation of SIPCOR’s Provisional Authority to Operate, placing the province at risk of power shortages and unreliable supply.
Malacañang said the government has since expedited the development of the new Siquijor Diesel Power Plants Project, which have a total installed capacity of 17.8 megawatts (MW), with a guaranteed dependable capacity of 12.25 MW and an N-1 reserve of 1.7 MW to provide sufficient backup power should one generating unit goes offline.
At least three new diesel power plants were constructed and commissioned in record time, located in the municipalities of Larena, Siquijor and Lazi.
“Hopefully, we keep on improving and the occurrence of blackout here would lessen— There is no problem with supply now because Siquijor has nine or 10 megawatts peak demand,” Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said in a separate interview.
In his SONA in July, Marcos ordered the Department of Energy, National Electrification Administration, and the ERC to address the recurring power interruptions and ensure a stable supply in Siquijor by end of 2025.*PNA