Tourists stroll along the boardwalk at Cloud 9 surfing spot in General Luna, Siargao Island. MindaNews file photo by IVY MARIE MANGADLAO
BUTUAN CITY (MindaNews / 10 December) – The provincial board of Surigao del Norte passed on Monday a resolution declaring a state of calamity in Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands, due to a power outage caused by a line fault in the submarine cable supplying electricity to the islands.
The outage started on December 1 and continued to affect these areas as of Tuesday.
The resolution, sponsored by Kaiser B. Recabo, Jr., chair of the committee on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, aims to expedite response and provide relief to residents and businesses grappling with the prolonged outage.
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) had earlier convened an emergency meeting on December 5, recommending the declaration due to the mounting challenges faced by residents and key sectors in the islands.
“The prolonged power outage has significantly affected the daily lives of residents, paralyzed essential services, and disrupted the local economy, including tourism, fishing, and other industries that are vital to the livelihood of the population,” the resolution said.
It noted that the declaration will enable the provincial government and concerned agencies to mobilize the necessary resources, utilize calamity funds, and implement immediate relief, recovery, and rehabilitation measures to assist the affected population. The state of calamity will be lifted once power is restored.
PDRRM Officer Cicero Cosme P. Tripoli, who attended the session, noted the urgency of passing the resolution.
Tripoli said the power outage has caused a noticeable increase in prices, particularly at water refilling stations, as businesses rely on generator sets to sustain operations.
“Our communication with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has revealed price hikes, especially at water refilling stations, due to the added operational expenses from using generator sets,” Tripoli said.
He added that with the declaration of a state of calamity, the DTI could impose a price freeze to prevent further financial strain on residents.
He reported that homestays, especially in General Luna town, are among the most affected businesses.
“Unlike larger hotels equipped with generator sets, most homestays cannot afford such solutions,” he added.
Alternative power sources coming
The power outage, which began on the morning of December 1, was caused by a line fault in the 34.5 MV submarine cable between Barangay Cagdianao in Claver town and Barangay Doña Helen in the island town of Socorro, Surigao del Norte.
On December 7, Siargao Electric Cooperative Inc. (SIARELCO) reported that during that day’s cable-lifting operations, technical experts found no signs of a line fault at the previously suspected kink in the submarine cable. This prompted divers to continue inspecting the remaining portions of the 1.9-kilometer submarine cable to locate the fault.
As of Tuesday, SIARELCO said divers were still conducting inspections of the submarine cable, with ongoing efforts to ensure accurate fault identification and efficient repair.
SIARELCO also disclosed that alternative power sources are on their way to Siargao. These include a 4.4 MW modular generator set from Lanao del Norte to Siargao Island and expected to arrive Wednesday and scheduled for commissioning on Friday, December 13; an 8 MW modular generator set from the Agusan del Norte Electric Cooperative, approved for deployment and expected to be commissioned on December 18; and an additional 4 MW modular generator set, scheduled for commissioning on December 20.
“These generator sets, with a total combined capacity of 16 MW, will supply electricity to both Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands while submarine cable repairs are underway,” the power utility said.
Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands consist of nine municipalities, with the electric cooperative serving 34,606 members and maintaining 36,038 connections there. (Ivy Marie Mangadlao/MindaNews)
