Marcos open to having another power provider in Siquijor

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. is open to the possibility of having another electric provider in Siquijor amid the power crisis in the province.

In an ambush interview on Wednesday, Marcos was asked if it is possible for Siquijor to have another electric provider. This came after he directed an investigation into the operations of the Siquijor Island Power Cooperative (SIPCOR). 

''Everything is on the table. We just have to examine what is the best solution. We have some very good ideas na. The NEA administrator is here and he has put out a framework on what we need to attend to, what would come first, etc. We will give you more detail after the detailed planning for that,'' he said. 

According to Marcos, the government has six months to implement the short-term interventions to address the power crisis, including the use of generators. In that six months, he emphasized the need ''to repair damage that has been caused by the collapse of the power supply.'' 

''We have given ourselves a deadline of six months for the short-term solution. By six months from now, we will then impose whatever new arrangements that we have to do, so that six months from now, we do not have to resort to emergency genset,'' he said.

The President also said SIPCOR should live up to its commitments in providing electric supply in the province. 

Meanwhile, Marcos said two generator sets would arrive in the province from Palawan to provide power supply to residents. 

The provincial government of Siquijor through its Sangguniang Panlalawigan has declared a state of calamity due to the worsening power crisis.

The approved resolution will empower the provincial government of Siquijor to access its Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF), specifically the Quick Response Fund (QRF), to implement immediate interventions.

Marcos inspected the SIPCOR power plant in Siquijor to address the recurring power interruptions in the province and to ramp up actions to address the power supply deficiencies.

In a separate press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro revealed that SIPCOR is owned by the Villar Group of Companies.

''Ang SIPCOR ay pag-aari rin po ng Villar Group of Companies. Kaya po minamadali po ng Pangulo na makausap po ang SIPCOR para sa mas mabilisang pagtugon sa problema dahil kung tutuusin po, hindi po ito bagong problema; dapat noon pa po ito natugunan,'' Castro said.

(SIPCOR is owned by the Villar Group of Companies. So, the President wants to immediately talk to SIPCOR to address the problem since this is not new, this should have been addressed before.)

''Ang sabi nga po nila, ang tunay na kaibigan ay walang iwanan. We hope that they will not abandon their obligations to their friends in Siquijor,'' she added.

(They said that a true friend will not abandon you. We hope that they will not abandon their obligations to their friends in Siquijor.)

Castro said the President also directed a full legal review and audit on the agreement between SIPCOR and the Province of Siquijor Electric Cooperative (PROSIELCO).

''Layon din nitong alamin ang naging pagkukulang at pananagutin ang dapat managot at tiyakin na hindi na ito mauulit,'' she said.

(This aims to determine the shortcomings and to hold accountable those who are liable for this and to ensure that this won't happen again.) 

GMA News Online asked the Villar Group for comment on the matter but it has yet to reply.

In an earlier statement, SIPCOR said it is currently implementing corrective measures to resolve the power supply challenges in the province of Siquijor.

''We understand the inconvenience this may cause and we assure our customers that our technical teams are working diligently to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. We advise all affected customers to take necessary precautions during these instances and to stay updated with our latest advisories,'' SIPCOR said.

It said that corrective maintenance for one of its service units was completed last Monday, resulting in an increase of 7,550 kW (kilowatt) to the total operating capacity of the plant. 

Meanwhile, NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda assured the residents of Siquijor that concrete steps are already being undertaken to resolve the ongoing power crisis in the province.

Almeda already ordered the operation of the two generator sets as a stop-gap measure while the SIPCOR continues to repair three of its damaged generation units.

Marcos and Almeda also met with Governor Jake Vincent Villa and other local government officials to talk about other measures that may be taken to resolve the power crisis.—AOL/RF, GMA Integrated News