Not only are the residents of Malapascua Island enjoying steady and reliable power supply, but are also being charged relatively cheaper compared to the rates imposed by their previous power provider.
Provincial Ordinance No. 2025-01 which came into force on March 4 upon Gov. Gwen Garcia’s signature, set the power rate for Malapascua at P16.80 per kilowatt-hour, decidedly cheaper than the P23 per kilowatt-hour being collected by the former power provider PowerSource Philippines, Inc. (PSPI), whose services were very unsatisfactory.
The ordinance provides that the actual usage of electricity as recorded by the meters of CEBECO II from August 6, 2024 when the Capitol took over in power generation until February 24 this year “shall be amortized over a period of 24 months”.
This means the total electricity charge from the covered dates of August 2024 to February 2025 shall be divided into 24; and 1/24 of it may be paid in monthly installments, beginning with the issuance of the first billing in April, making the charges more bearable for consumers.
“Mosabot mis inyong kahimtang kay ang giagian ninyo dili malalim. Kinahanglan pa mo maka-recover” Gov. Gwen said in a meeting with residents and business owners of the island on March 18. She was joined by Board Member Glenn Soco and her daughter Carissa, second nominee of Ako Bisaya Partylist.
“Ug kining gobyerno ninyo, kining Cebu Provincial Government, wa ni diri kay aron magnegosyo ninyo. Nia mi aron kamo ang molambo, kanang inyong kinabuhi mapa-arang-arang nato,” the Governor added.
It was in August 6 last year when the Capitol took over as the primary power provider of Malapascua after the qualified third party provider PSPI miserably failed to deliver steady and reliable energy to the consumers since 2019, resulting in massive and prolonged power interruptions in this tourism hotspot.
Even if it was the 455th founding anniversary of Cebu Province, the Governor flew to Malapascua to lead the ceremonial switch-on of power from the defective generator sets of PSPI to the four brand new generator sets of the Capitol that has a 2-megawatt capacity, enough to power the demands of the island.
The ordinance provides that the electricity charge is intended to help the Capitol defray the cost of running an electricity generation facility, covering cost of fuel and other expenses, but without the aim to make profits.
“We were suffering from chronic power outages, so much so that we would have tourists fleeing the island. It made Malapascua uninhabitable to tourists,” Anna Reed, Malapascua Business Association president, told Sugbo News.
“When Gov. Gwen steps in, along with CEBECO II, everything changed. Now, power is not a concern for us; it’s not a cause of anxiety, and we’re very thankful to Gov. Gwen for helping us,” she added.
For her part, Nanay Elsie Pepito, a resident, said their lives have been better since the Capitol brought in the generator sets.
“Sauna og mapawng, mag-ispat na lang mi makahuman lag mig pangaon. Karon, hayag na kaayo, bisan pag magbuntag ang suga,” she said. | SN
