Senate probe on Samal City power crisis

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SEN. Raffy Tulfo is calling for the investigation of the Northern Davao Electric Cooperative (NORDECO) due to power outages in Samal Island which is now under a state of calamity.

Tulfo said it appears that NORDECO was the root cause due to negligence since the cooperative’s submarine cables are quite old. “They haven’t been replaced yet,” Tulfo said.

The antiquated submarine cable was installed 43 years ago, and it can no longer cover the entire capacity of the island, the senator said.

On average, the power outage in the area lasts 7 to 8 hours during peak load and 2-3 hours during off-peak daily. This has been going on since last year.