A day after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. assured the people of Siquijor province of relief from rotational brownouts, a much-needed power generation set arrived on the island.
The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) reported that a trailer truck carrying a generator set (genset) from Sta. Rosa, Laguna arrived at 5:59 a.m. on Thursday via MV Martin 7 of Maayo Shipping Lines.
The equipment, with plate number NHE 6226, was transported to the Siquijor Island Power Corp. (SipCor) plant in Barangay Tignao in the municipality of Lazi.
As of 11 a.m., the island’s total available power output stood at 6.9 megawatts (MW), with 6 MW covering off-peak baseload
The newly arrived SipCor rental genset, with a rated capacity of 1 MW and a dependable capacity of 0.85 MW, is undergoing installation.
Authorities said that if completed within the day, the equipment would bring the island’s total available capacity to 7.75 MW, narrowing the power deficit during peak hours to just 1.25 MW.
On Wednesday, President Marcos flew to Siquijor to personally oversee measures to address the prolonged power disruptions which have lasted for several hours each day.
The President commiserated with residents who have been experiencing prolonged blackouts and severely impacted activities, including the province’s booming tourism sector.
Authorities have assured that brownouts will not occur during off-peak hours. However, limited rotational brownouts may still occur during peak hours at night, lasting about one to two hours.
Meanwhile, the delivery of a separate 2 MW genset from Palawan experienced a delay but is expected to arrive at the Cebu port by 8 p.m. Thursday, June 12.
A landing craft tank (LCT) has already been chartered for transport, with loading expected to take five hours.
The equipment is projected to arrive in Siquijor before 6 p.m. on Friday, June 13, with installation and commissioning targeted to be completed within 48 hours.
If all timelines are met, full peak demand coverage is anticipated by June 15, effectively ending the rotational brownouts that have affected households and businesses across the island.
Local officials and residents welcomed the update, hopeful that the timely arrival and installation of the generators would restore a stable power supply in the province. | PND
