Will Zamboanga City’s Power Supply Last?

Life isn’t normal without electricity.  Whether for home, school, hospital, commercial, or industrial purposes, electricity is their common lifeblood. Cut it and there will be widespread darkness. Remove it and you will lose refrigeration to keep our food fresh and our drinks cool. Deprive vital establishments like medical centers and they wouldn’t be able to give the life-giving care our ailing citizens need.

The presence of electricity in a community signifies progress. Ironically, power outages have become common in Zamboanga City. The absence of electricity causes disruption in our daily activities and affects the city’s economy.  Without electric lights, it would be difficult for us to read anything, especially at night. While power generators augment for the lack of electricity, especially in business and tourist establishments, they can only do so much. By the way, not everyone can afford a power generator.

With the intense summer heat scorching our beloved hometown, how can you expect us to keep our heads cool when our electric fans are useless? Take note also that Zamboanga is one of the key cities in the Philippines closest to the equator – one of the hottest places on Earth.

The power outages stem from the Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative’s (ZAMCELCO) outstanding debts with Western Mindanao Power Corporation (WMPC).

Following an investment management contract bidding, ZAMCELCO was recently brought into management under CROWN-DESCO Investment Holdings, Inc. After weeks of negotiations, CROWN-DESCO finally agreed to pay around half of ZAMCELCO’s Php467 million-debt to WMPC (around Php220 million). This restored power to the city for the next 60 days beginning last April 29.

 “We are glad to restore power and normalcy to Zamboanga City,” WMPC and Alsons Power Group vice president for business development Joseph Nocos previously said.

Now that power has been restored in the city, we all are hoping that this would truly last. We, therefore, ask CROWN-DESCO to make good of its commitment to provide uninterrupted power by paying WMPC the remainder of its dues.  This way, the power crisis in the city would truly come to an end and normalcy would be restored to the city’s electricity supply.

Speak Up! On the Power Shortage Situation in Zamboanga City

We all have various personal experiences regarding the inconvenience of the power shortage and current fluctuations that occur in the city of Zamboanga. But what do residents have to say?

This is a small feature on Zamboanguenos sharing their opinion on the power shortage situation in the city. The identities of the respondents have been kept confidential. However, it is the actual responses that are interesting to note on three simple questions:

34, Entrepreneur, Upper Calarian, Zamboanga City

1. If you were to rate your satisfaction as a consumer on a scale from 1 to 5 with 1 being poor an 5 being excellent, how would ZAMCELCO fare? Why?

1- always blackout

2. If you had friends, relatives and guests visiting Zamboanga, how would you explain the power situation? 

Our government cannot resolve the issue, is there possible corruption? 

3. Please share an unforgettable experience with the blackouts in the city. 

When I was trying to finish something important like paper work while using the computer then blackout occurred, it is very inconvenient. 

48, Female, Government Employee, Talon-Talon

1. If you were to rate your satisfaction as a consumer on a scale from 1 to 5 with 1 being poor an 5 being excellent, how would ZAMCELCO fare? Why?

1. Blackouts existed since I was a child, so there's nothing new. It just became worse with climate change and so with the environment. 

41, Male, Government Employee, Suterville, Zamboanga City 

1. If you were to rate your satisfaction as a consumer on a scale from 1 to 5 with 1 being poor an 5 being excellent, how would ZAMCELCO fare? Why?

1- Very poor in all of its service

2. If you had friends, relatives and guests visiting Zamboanga, how would you explain the power situation? 

WMPC-Crown Dispute

3. Please share an unforgettable experience with the blackouts in the city. 

Unscheduled blackouts, while at 1 AM while you are sleeping, 

24, Male, Administrative Assistant, Recodo, Zamboanga City 

1. If you were to rate your satisfaction as a consumer on a scale from 1 to 5 with 1 being poor an 5 being excellent, how would ZAMCELCO fare? Why?

1

2. If you had friends, relatives and guests visiting Zamboanga, how would you explain the power situation? 

Economic reasons and also water scarcity

3. Please share an unforgettable experience with the blackouts in the city.

Nasira ang aircon namin.

Not only can these power interruptions hamper operations and activities, but even resources can be damaged. A friend of ours said that due to the power interruptions, her television set was destroyed, and all that's coming from her TV is the audio during evening news. Luckily, her thoughtful brother bought her a replacement television but she fears that the same thing will happen with the continuous power fluctuations being experienced in her home. 

It can be frustrating especially if there's nobody accountable for the damages on household appliances that one has worked hard for. It can be embarrassing for visitors and guests, and can be difficult for people who are trying to put their best foot forward to introduce the beauty of la ciudad, but at the risk of the power situation in the city. 

To describe the sentiments of the residents of the city, bastante ya, (enough already). 

How about you? What are your thoughts on the power situation in the city?