Only 4 hours of power daily for Occidental Mindoro residents

OCCIDENTAL MINDORO, Philippines – The lone power supplier of Occidental Mindoro slashed access to electricity in the province to only four hours daily starting Thursday, April 13.

The Occidental Mindoro Consolidated Power Corporation (OMCPC) will only operate one generator with a 7.5-megawatt (MW) capacity “until further notice.”

“This is because of the long-delayed payment we have not received from Napocor (National Power Corporation) until now,” OMCPC-Samarica plant head Edgardo D Cruz said.

Cruz announced the move on April 12 in a letter to Cesar Faeldon, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) Project Supervisor of the Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (OMECO).

“Dahil sa pagbabawas na ito, magkakaroon na lamang ng apat na oras na may kuryente kada araw sa ilalabas na panibagong schedule ng rotational power supply,” OMCPC-IEC said in a Facebook post.

(This lowered capacity will allow only four hours of power per day in the new rotational power supply schedule.)

The notice followed a consumer protest in San Jose, the province’s capital, on Black Saturday, April 8.

“Our day-to-day situation is worsening,” Leah Halagao Lacibar told Rappler on April 13.

A few areas, including hospitals received two separate chunks of four-hour power supply.

Impact on lives

Lacibar, a member of Pundidong Ilaw, was one of the organizers of the protest.

It’s now very hard to heat water. It’s hard to iron the children’s uniforms. The laundry piles up and our appliances are breaking down,” she said in a mix of Tagalog and English

Lacibar’s children are struggling with their academics. The heat and the lack of light make them restless in school and at home.

Mindoro Occidental Governor Eduardo B. Gadiano suspended classes in all private and public schools from April 3 to April 5 due to prolonged and repeated power outages in the province.

Lacibar expects education conditions to get worse and notes that even remote or modular learning may collapse due to the lack of power.

Economy and crime

Businessman Christopher Manalo Aguilar said fisherfolk are hurting because they lack ice to keep catch fresh before bringing this to the ports of Batangas or Navotas.

The prolonged power crisis could worsen the peace and order situation in the province, protester Roger Calaranan warned

“Maaaring magdulot ng pagtaas ng kriminalidad sa kakulangan ng street lighting at kakayahan na mag-operate ng mga surveillance camera. Mas malakas ang loob ng mga masasamang tao na gumawa ng hindi Maganda sapagkat pabor sa kanila ang madilim na kapaligiran,” he said.

(The lack of street lights and working surveillance cameras could increase criminality. The darkness will encourage bad people to commit crimes.)

Mindoro Occidental had a population of 525,354 and a poverty incidence of 20.8% in 2020. 

Protests snowball

Irate residents plan to rev up protests.

Youth will hold a “Blackout Concert” at the San Jose plaza on Saturday, April 15.

A loose network of groups, including OKSIwalangpower Movement, Pundidong Ilaw, , Eight Ball tribe, Mangyan Movement, and the Samahan ng Consumers sa Occidental Mindoro are behind the concert.

OKSIwalangpower Movement will also hold a province-wide caravan to expand protests beyond the capital.

The 7.5-MW that OMCPC’s latest announcement cited is only 22% of its 33-MW capacity, according to the July 2022 provincial council resolution declaring a power crisis.

March 2023 already saw a 14 megawatt (MW) shortage, with only 13 MW in actual supply compared to the 27-MW peak demand.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) granted a provisional authority for the OMECO – OMCPC Power Supply Agreement. 

But the alleged non-payment by Napocor ofsubsidies prevented the operation of two other power plants in Sablayan and Maburao.

– Rappler.com