President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Friday declared that Siquijor’s power supply is now sufficient, less than two months after he vowed in his 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA) to end the island’s power shortage.
Marcos led the ceremonial switch-on of the 17.8-megawatt Siquijor Power Plants at the Province of Siquijor Electric Cooperative (PROSIELCO) facility in Larena town, saying the new capacity more than doubles the island’s electricity demand of around 9 megawatts.
“Dito sa ating pagbalik dito sa Siquijor ay maga-garantiya na natin na ang kuryente dito ay sobra-sobra na ang supply dahil kung ang demand ng Siquijor ay 9 megawatts ay 17 na ang supply natin kaya’t hindi na talaga magkukulang,” Marcos said.
“Ngayon, malakas na ang loob ko na i-proclaim na buo na ang supply ng kuryente dito sa Siquijor,” he added.
For years, residents and businesses endured recurring blackouts lasting up to 10 hours, crippling local commerce.
An inspection last June 11 at the Siquijor Island Power Corporation (SIPCOR) revealed that its facilities were inadequate, leading the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to revoke SIPCOR’s provisional authority to operate. This left the province vulnerable to crippling shortages and unreliable supply.
Malacañang said the government responded by fast-tracking the construction of three new diesel power plants in Larena, Siquijor, and Lazi, providing a total installed capacity of 17.8 MW, with a dependable capacity of 12.25 MW and an N-1 reserve of 1.7 MW to ensure backup in case one plant goes offline.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the new plants would drastically cut blackouts and boost livelihoods across the province.
“Hopefully, we keep on improving at kakaunti na ang blackout dito at gumanda sana ang hanapbuhay sa Siquijor—Wala pong problema sa supply ngayong kasi ang Siquijor ay 9 or 10 megawatts and peak demand,” Garin said.
In his SONA last July, Marcos ordered the DOE, National Electrification Administration (NEA), and ERC to stabilize power in Siquijor by the end of 2025. The president said that with the new facilities online, the target has been delivered ahead of schedule.