THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has revoked the permit to operate of the Villar-owned Siquijor Island Power Corp. (SIPCOR) due to prolonged blackouts in the province, lasting from five to fifteen hours per day.
According to Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, the order is effective immediately and covers all of SIPCOR’s provisional authorities due to “numerous operational and regulatory violations.” “We gave them almost two months, but they still failed,” Garin said, noting that since January, there have been 568 power outages, or more than 31 outages per month.
Siquijor declared a state of emergency after the power outages affected schools, hospitals, businesses, and tourism on the island. The local utility, PROSIELCO, has signed Emergency Power Supply Agreements with TotalPower Inc. to replace SIPCOR. The Department of Energy (DOE) insists that this is not a political move, but rather to ensure proper service.
SIPCOR has confirmed receipt of the decision and stated that they will study legal options, while assuring stakeholders that they will resolve the issue as soon as possible.
