Aside from the frequent and prolonged power disruption on Malapascua Island, Powersource Philippines Inc. (PSPI) has violated several environmental laws, including operating without an environmental compliance certificate (ECC), prompting the Capitol to halt its operations.
In an executive order (EO) signed by Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, she directed the PSPI to cease and desist from operating its power plant in Malapascua Island in Daanbantayan, Cebu, effective 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 7.
Garcia also ordered the local government of Daanbantayan, Barangay Logon, and the Philippine National Police to strictly monitor and enforce the EO.
This is after residents and business establishments, particularly the Malapascua Business Association, have received complaints from locals over extended and frequent power outages, the necessity of using personal generators during peak hours, and disconnection notifications that have been sent in spite of prompt payments.
The island’s everyday operations and tourism sector were significantly interrupted on Monday, Aug. 5, when a major blackout resulted from these concerns, the EO said.
It was also stressed in the EO that the PSPI has violated several environmental laws, such as operating without ECC, improper hazardous waste storage, and exceeding effluent standards for oil and grease, which was discovered during an Environmental Management Bureau examination on July 26–27, 2024.
According to the EO, these violations threaten the health of both locals and tourists on the island, as well as the ecosystem.
Inadequate
Malapascua Island, a prime tourist destination, has faced deteriorating electricity services from PSPI, with no significant improvement in its services since 2019, the EO said.
On July 17, 2024, Cebu Electric Cooperative Inc. (Cebeco II) issued a dispute notice to PSPI as a precursor to contract termination due to these consistent failures to adequately serve the residents of Malapascua Island.
The Cebeco board of directors issued Resolution 17 on April 2, 2018, allowing PSPI to undertake electrification services on Malapascua Island.
24/7 power
To address the island’s power needs, the Provincial Government provided generator sets.
On Aug. 6, Garcia led the switch-on ceremony of the 4,500+ kilo-volt-amperes (KVA) generator at Malapascua Island to provide uninterrupted power for its residents, marking the end of inadequate service from PSPI.
Around 1,800 households and 68 businesses will benefit from the new generator sets.
“24/7 stability of power is expected from today,” said Daanbantayan Mayor Sun Shimura Shimura.
“She ordered 4,500+ KVA generator sets on the island, but PSPI won’t allow these engines to run the island for reasons that top management won’t allow,” said Shimura.
Shimura said that when the problem reached Garcia a few months ago, she called a meeting for an alternative power supplier on the island. / CDF