THE Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos) expects the national government to address its problem concerning electricity.
In a radio interview, Igacos Mayor Al David Uy said on Thursday morning, October 12, that the generator purchased by the city government is what they have been using but it is still insufficient due to the increasing demand for electricity supply in the area.
“Nagamit na pero kulang gihapon, nagkadako ang demand maong kulang ang supply (We used the [generator] but still it is not enough, the demand is increasing hence, the supply is not enough),” Uy said.
Uy underscored the need to provide a stable supply of electricity to the island so that tourists will not be discouraged from coming in because of the lack of electricity and internet connection. He said that business owners who heavily rely on tourists would be critically affected if the number of tourists lessened due to the lack of supply of electricity.
About P9 million has already been allocated by the LGU to purchase two generators, and they plan to use them in remote areas, like Talikod Island, which are experiencing scheduled power interruptions almost every day.
Uy said that the LGU of Samal and the national government have already conducted Zoom meetings regarding the electricity deficiency. Uy said that the situation is still the same, adding that the citizens are paying around P22 to P24 per kilowatt/ hour but the services are not good.
Thus, he said there is a need to add generator sets so that they can cater to the demand of the city and would not heavily affect the economy of the island.
Meanwhile, Novi Mae E. Alfeche, a resident of Samal Island, told SunStar Davao in a phone interview on Friday morning, October 13, that the power interruption on the island is present and that at times the electricity would return too late.
“I hope noh na kanang ma-stable na jud ang electricity sa Samal knowing na daghan tourist naga anhi diri kay ma apektuhan jud na kung walay electricity (I hope that the electricity in Samal would be stable knowing that there are a lot tourists coming here, it would really affect them if there is no electricity),” Alfeche said.
On the other hand, Stiphanie Colong, a resident of Samal, said that the supply of electricity is insufficient and many of the residents in the city are suffering due to the high electricity bills.
“Dapat dunggon na sa taas ang pagpangayo namog tabang bahin aning [Those in the higher ups should listen to the people who are asking for help regarding the] shortage of electricity-- The people of IGACOS are suffering not only due to the power shortage but also due to the high electricity bills,” Colong said. RGP