APEC PARTY-LIST REP. SERGIO DAGOOC WARNS PUBLIC OF POWER SUPPLY CRISIS IN 32 ISLAND PROVINCES; CALLS ON IMMEDIATE ACTION FROM NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

APEC Party-List Representative and Assistant Minority

Leader

Sergio Dagooc of the Power Bloc speaks up on the plan of the National Power Corporation (NPC) to curtail the operating hours of the Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG) serving off-grid areas starting March 1 during a press conference last January 25.

According to Rep. Dagooc, the NPC issued a communication on January 4 to affected electric cooperatives under the SPUG areas informing them of their plan to decrease the operational hours of the power plants due to fuel supply shortage and delays in the payment of the Universal Cost for Missionary Electrification (UCME).

Based on NPC data, they would need around 3.8 Billion more to pay for the fuel supply, on top of the 6.8 Billion budget allocated in the FY 2023 mandated by the General Appropriations Act.

On Monday, 23 January, the Power Bloc already filed House Resolution No. 707 to intervene and prevent the power supply crisis and aid the NPC to augment their budget allocation for fuel for FY 2023. As of writing, the Committee has yet to tackle the Resolution.

“Ang pakay namin ay para lang maiparating sa mga kinauukulan natin na yung kuryente ngayon, hindi na po luxury ‘yan, essential na po ‘yan. Kawawa naman po ‘yung mga maaapektuhan, kaya kailangan pong trabahuin ng ating pamahalaan at ng mga concerned government agencies na masuplayan po ang pangangailangan sa kuryente,” Rep. Dagooc said.

Occidental Mindoro Representative Leody Tarriela, who also attended the press conference, made a plea on behalf of his constituents who are already suffering from the curtailed hours since last year.

“Ang sabi nga nila doon sa probinsya, maski mahal ang kuryente, basta mayroon, amenable sila. Because the most expensive electricity is no electricity at all,” Rep. Tarriela said.

Rep. Dagooc stressed that the proposed plan would potentially affect 22.5 million Filipino consumers from the different island provinces, 14 in Luzon, 10 in Visayas, and 8 in Mindanao.

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