Malapascua stakeholders seek to terminate electricity supplier’s services

THE members of Malapascua Business Association (MBA) suggested to Governor Gwendolyn Garcia during their meeting at the Capitol on Wednesday, June 19, to terminate the power service engagement of PowerSource Philippines Inc. (PSPI) in Malapascua Island in Daanbantayan town.

MBA president Anna Reed described the PSPI’s shortcomings since 2019 and how the island’s power problem has affected people’s lives and their livelihood.

Voltage fluctuations and frequent power outages are among the persistent problems.

“It has continued all through these years, and that is where my responsibility lies because I have to do something in order to alleviate the situation. And if a continuing partnership is what you are offering, I’m sorry, I cannot even consider you a partner of the province because that’s not the way we operate,” Garcia said during the meeting through Capitol’s online news portal, Sugbo News.

Cebeco II general manager Lowell Belcina and National Power Corporation Visayas head Timoteo Diacor also conveyed their dissatisfaction with PSPI.

They said that they have brought up these issues with the management and are still waiting for their response.

Also present during the meeting were Department of Energy Visayas Field Office Inspector, lawyer Barrytone Busi; National Electrification Administration Engineering Department Director Federico Villar; Daanbantayan Municipal Administrator Mamerto Rodrigo; and PSPI executive Carlos Cervantes.

On July 3, the parties are expected to meet again to discuss the issue and possibly come up with a decision. (ANV, TPT)