INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Residents in the Island Garden of Samal City experience long and frequent brownouts, which affect the livelihood and daily lives of the residents, and also disrupt the tourism industry in the area.
The power supply in Samal is being managed by the Northern Davao Electric Cooperative Inc. (Nordeco).
Michelle Reyes, manager of Camp Holiday Resort on the island, said that the frequent brownouts cause inconvenience to tourists, which directly affects tourism in Samal.
Reyes said that they are using generators, which are not enough to provide electricity in the resort. On top of that, generators are more expensive.
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“If ever mag-brownout gumagamit kami generator, then nakaka-experience kami ng brownout sa isang araw, siguro tatlong beses, apat, then babalik siya minsan. Sa generator mas malaki ang expenses at ‘yung maintenance sa generator [We use generators when we experience three to four times of brownouts a day. But the generators cost a lot],” the resort manager added.
Like other businesses in the area, tourism establishments cannot simply hire additional manpower because the management needs to manage the financials in order to survive, especially after rebounding from the recent lockdowns due to pandemic.
Other results of the constant power interruptions are broken appliances and food spoilage, which food businesses in the area are fearing most of the time.
Recently, the Tagum Chamber of Commerce and Industry Incorporated led by Aerol Conde staged a motorcade-rally that culminated at Rotary Park in Barangay Magugpo Poblacion.
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“The power rates of Nordeco are no longer bearable, both for the business community and the ordinary people,” Conde said. Nordeco rates are about P7 higher than other power suppliers.
The rally, joined by 3,000 people, marked the first time the province’s business community organized an open protest to express dismay over the substandard services.
Tagum business owners joined the call of the residents in Samal Island to replace Nordeco for charging high power rates to its consumers in Davao de Oro and some parts of Davao del Norte compared to its regional peers.
Meanwhile, Argel Elarde, a resident of Brgy. Balet, Babak district shared that brownouts usually last for six hours a day, affecting the signal and internet connections, which results in his absence in online classes.
“Sa gabi nag-aaral ako, online class. Kapag brownout wala kaming internet at hindi ako makapasok sa eskwela [At night I study, online class. But when there is brownout we cannot go to school],” Elarde stressed.
The frequent power interruption adds on to his struggle to finish his education and deprives him of quality rest because they often use fans to sleep.
Elarde was among the ordinary people calling for a decent electric service as they regularly paid their electricity bills with Nordeco.
Many customers have expressed their frustrations, saying they’ve given enough time for Nordeco to shape up, but now enough is enough.