Samal Island LGU, residents decry alleged failed services of power provider

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Over 3,000 residents on the Island Garden City of Samal rallied on Wednesday in front of the Northern Davao Electric Cooperative Inc. (Nordeco) office due to its alleged failure to provide adequate services to consumers.

Residents and local government unit (LGU) officials voiced their concerns as they have been experiencing four to five times of brownouts a day despite the expensive electricity rates.

Island Garden City of Samal Vice Mayor Lemuel Reyes, who also joined the rally, stressed that the inefficiency of the electricity company started last 2016 and is yet to be resolved.

“Malaking problema po talaga sa Samal is ‘yung kuryente… Halos everyday nagba-brownout ang mahal pa, 19 per kilo watt hour, ‘yung sa Davao sa kabila nasa 12 lang yata, ilan ang diperensya tapos hindi naman maganda ang serbisyo [Power is really a problem in Samal. Almost everyday we experience brownout],” he said.

Reyes stressed that Nordeco services fail to suffice the need of the consumers, adding that it also affects the island’s tourism sector.

“We are growing [in investments] kaso nga lang nauudlot. Maraming gustong pumasok, ‘pag tinatanong ‘yung kuryente tapos [hindi naman masiguro] dahil ‘di naman stable, wala kaming magawa,” the Vice Mayor said.

The LGU has already submitted a resolution to Congress.

Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta Rep. Margarita Ignacia Nograles filed House Bill 6740 to remove Nordeco as the electricity provider in Tagum City, Island Garden City of Samal, and the municipalities of Asuncion, Kapalong, New Corella, San Isidro, and Talaingod.

Nograles said that Nordeco allegedly failed to address the problems and improve services within its franchise resulting in “frequent power outages, thereby impeding economic development.”

“The local officials acted on their constituents’ expressed desire to be liberated from Nordeco’s long-standing poor and unreliable electric service,” she added.

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