Davao Light customers to enjoy reduced power rate At least 12 dead after ship burns off Basilan

At least 12 people died after a commercial vessel caught fire off Balukbuk Island in Basilan around 11:40 p.m. on Wednesday, the Philippine Coast Guard-Basilan said.

The MV Mary Joy 3, which is owned by Aleson Shipping Lines, was carrying some 200 passengers.

In a phone interview at noon Thursday, Basilan Gov. Jim Hataman-Salliman told MindaNews that the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office has reported 12 casualties so far.

Two of the fatalities were identified as 3-year old Fadzrina Lasal, of Tabuk, Isabela City, and Husin Halul Hamid. Also among the cadavers was that of a boy estimated to be 6 months old.

A 9-year old boy was reportedly separated from his mother.

Personnel from the Naval Forces Western Command and PCG had rescued 121 passengers as of 4 a.m. on Thursday.

By MAYA M. PADILLO

An official of the Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) disclosed on Wednesday that customers will enjoy reduced power rates middle of the month.

Mayor Arsina Ano of Hadji Muhtamad, Basilan said that by 6 a.m., 195 passengers and 35 crew members were accounted for. The figure included the dead and those who were reported missing.

Sister vessel MV Mary Joy 2 brought six unidentified cadavers to Zamboanga City. It also transported 105 rescued passengers to the city for medical treatment.

The company sent another boat to Isabela City in Basilan where 64 rescued passengers were sheltered by the local government at the evacuation center near Bulwagan Hall. Seventeen others were confined at the Basilan General Hospital and Infante Hospital.

Meanwhile, Aleson Shipping Lines has expressed willingness to shoulder the hospitalization expenses of the registered passengers of the ill-fated vessel.

According to the registration manifest of the PCG, the boat had

“It started sometime middle of the month. We bill our customers in 22 batches, some batch numbers will start lowering at 38 centavos or close to 40 centavos and will enjoy that sometime middle of the month until next month,” said Rodger S. Velasco, president, and chief operating officer of DLPC, during Wednesdays at Habi at Kape.

After lowering the power rate to P11.52 per kilowatt-hour in February this year, DLPC announced earlier this month that it is reducing its power rate once again.

DLPC again reduced the price by 38 centavos per kWh, to P11.14 for the residential.

Velasco cited DLPC’s participation in the Mindanao-based Philippine Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) because of its cheap price.

‘Naa nata’y WESM and during intervals where prices are low we dispatch WESM, we buy from FDAVAO, P10