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THE OFFICIAL E-NEWSLETTER OF THE PHILIPPINE INFORMATION AGENCY - SIQUIJOR | WWW.PIA.GOV.PH and the DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - SIQUIJOR | WWW.DOST.GOV.PH VOL. 3 | NO. 31 September 1-11, 2015
Siquijor power outages due to power plant snags-SIPCOR SIQUIJOR (PIA) - - Siquijor Island Power Corporation (SIPCOR) admitted earlier that the recent power outages in the island are due to technical and mechanical problems in Lazi and Siquijor Diesel Power Plants. This after the local public’s clamor for explanation on the series of power interruptions even after its privatization just a few months ago. During the recent Stakeholders’ Meeting, SIPCOR technical head Jose Rommel Orillaza explained that there was a problem related to the Vacuum Circuit Breaker and/or Programmable Logic Controller in Lazi plant which prevented the synchronization of the generating unit. Likewise, Siquijor plant has a mechanical problem that caused leakage in the cylinder that affected the function of the generating units, he said. Te c h n i c a l e n g i n e e r s a n d technicians, he said, completed repair works and preventive maintenance services (PMS) of the generating units although PMS in Lazi has to be postponed in October due to road constructions that affect the delivery of the service. Orillaza assured that all four units are now operational to serve the 21,903 consumers and that there is no need for another unit at present. He added that SIPCOR has made arrangement with the National Power Corporation and/or Monark Philippines to allow them to use or lease more or less 1-megawatt unit that will be able to provide the electricity requirement of PROSIELCO. Province of Siquijor Electric Cooperative Inc. (PROSIELCO) general Manager Laureen Malolot said the stakeholders meeting was held after member-consumers raised questions and aired their frustrations on social media and elsewhere over the power outages. The meeting aimed to discuss the problem with SIPCOR, PROSIELCO and the stakeholders and that it would be given right and justifiable solutions, said Malolot in her letter. In that stakeholders’ meeting, res i d e n t s, b u s i n e s s operators and officials also expressed dismay over the returning power outages and poor services despite promises of ‘no more b r o w n o u ts ” a fte r th e p ri va t i z a t i o n . Governor Zaldy Villa demanded that new and efficient units should be provided as promised to him by the SIPCOR
Tourism, private, government sectors, consumers - all but one cry to power service providers: “Just give us the kind of service we deserve!” even with the assurance that all four units are now operational with three engines currently running in a capacity of 4.8 mw and the other one as standby unit. Three big resort operators/owners questioned the one to three-second brownouts for five to ten times a day that destroy their appliances and affect the kind of service they are giving to the customers. Local residents said Siquijodnons deserve efficient and quality power service just the way they are in paying promptly their electric bills. They said they cannot understand why power supply seemed to have worsened despite the assurance that it would improve with the new operation. It must be recalled that Siquijor province has since experienced periodic brownouts and unstable power supply in the previous years due
to the ageing power generators of the National Power Corporation (NPC). But wiith the the entry of the new provider, hope flickered among Siquijodnons especially when it was given a taste of the seemingly ‘unhindered’ but ‘short-lived’ power supply, because another series of power interruptions recur in the island only a few months after SIPCOR has assumed operation in February this year. Residents, business and resort operators and local officials, during the meeting, all demanded urgent solutions from both PROSIELCO as distributor and SIPCOR as power generator/provider. SIPCOR has a 20-year power supply agreement with the PROSIELCO that it is expected to address the present generation capacity requirements and even future demand of the province. (rmn/rac/PIA7-Siquijor)