Following the four-day power outage that happened in Brooke’s Point, the local government unit (LGU) has asked DMCI Powers, its power provider, to deploy standby generators.
Vice mayor Georjalyn Joy Quiachon-Abarca said Tuesday during the recess of the municipal session that the LGU is now taking measures like requesting the DMCI to redeploy generator sets in Barangay Ipilan.
“Yong isang action ng Sanggunian Bayan para sa mga brownout ay nagpasa tayo ng resolution requesting the DMCI for the redeployment ng genset dyan sa barangay Ipilan para kung magba-brownout ay meron nang sasagot sa kuryente ng Brooke’s Point kasi kung lagi natin hahanapin yong fault doon sa malalayong lugar pa, kaawa-awa naman ang ating mga kababayan,” she said.
Sanggunian Bayan member Victor Colili said that the move of the LGU on having the gensets of DMCI would prevent power loss and its unfavorable effects which the town during the four-day straight power outage.
“Ang move ngayon ng Brooke’s Point ay magkaroon ng stand by na genset dito ng DMCI at may iba pa na player na gusto mag-supply ng kuryente sa Palawan Electric Cooperative so kahit na mawala yong kuryente sa main grid, okay lang kami kasi pwede paandarin yong genset dito, pwede mag-supply. Yon ang preparation para maiwasan na yong nangyari nakaraan,” he said.
Abarca said many businesses and operations were affected. Many products, such as meat and fish in restaurants were damaged due to the power outage.
Generator sets were also affected due to non-stop use to supply temporary power particularly in storing medicines. Even operations such as welding shops and the fish trade were affected.
She also mentioned that the LGU had passed a resolution on the establishment of an eight-megawatt diesel power plant of DMCI in Brooke’s Point.
She stated that the LGU had assured the shares of the town on the electricity it could produce.
“Unang-una, we have already passed a resolution passing the establishment of eight-megawatt diesel power plant, ‘yan ay para sa DMCI na sila ay magkaroon na ng planta dito, mas malapit sa amin. And na-make sure din namin sa aming pag-endorso na makakapakinabang ang bayan ng Brooke’s Point doon sa mapo-produce nila na kuryente,” she said.
She mentioned that the Sanggunian Bayan of Brooke’s Point had passed a resolution to create a trust fund for the share of the local government based on the generation of the electricity.
“Yong ating Department of Energy, nag-impose na meron certain number of mapo-produce na kuryente, meron karampatang share ang local government unit. Nakapag-pasa na rin kami ng ordinansa para sa trust fund, prepared na rin, nag-aantay na lang kami. Yon talaga ang pangmalakihan nakikita namin na solution dito sa problema,” she said.
Meanwhile, she also mentioned that the LGU had endorsed in 2018 a six-megawatt net power plant for Brooke’s Point power generation which is a biomass power plant.
Abarca said that they have already called PALECO many times in sessions and it also expressed commitment, including the changing of their insulated wires.
On the other hand, Brooke’s Point PALECO officer Engr. Ren Lagan did not give any detail regarding the cause of the power interruption as it was due to the transmission lines of National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR) and not through the distribution lines of the electric cooperative.
Lagan assured the public that if the problem of PALECO’s distribution line falls in the areas of Sofronio Española, Brooke’s Point, Bataraza and Balabac Island, they would immediately make a solution as long as there is sufficient supply and there will be no problem with the transmission of NAPOCOR.
“Siguro pinakamabilis natin mare-resolba yan, isang oras pero hindi natin itutulad na mangyari uli yong bagay na yon kapag sa distribution ni PALECO, hindi natin papayagan. Kapag kay IPP (independent power provider), transmission ni NAPOCOR, hindi ako makakapagbigay ng assurance kung gaano sya kabilis mababalik pero sa amin ay mahaba na yong isang araw,” he said.
He also encouraged the affected member-consumers to report immediately so they could respond and give a solution.
He mentioned that the hype of individuals expressing their issues and concerns through social media platforms is not the same as the way they report their problems to the electric cooperative.
“Hindi sila ganoon ka-active mag-report ng problema. Nalulungkot nga tayo kasi imbes na i-perform nila yong karapatan at obligasyon nila sa pag-aari nila sa kooperatiba, ‘yon ang nawawala. Iniiwasan na makilala kung sino sila or natatakot din sila baka mamaya hindi pala totoo yong sinasabi ng sa Facebook, nakikisakay lang sila kasi merong ganoon,” he said.
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