Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS) Mayor Al David Uy said on Friday that the LGU of Samal incurs P120 million to P150 million economic losses annually due to the long-standing power crisis on the island.
Uy said Samal tourism sustained a significant loss of P50 million, a total of P30 million in the island’s local companies, P50 million in home damages, P10 million in public services and infrastructure, and P20 million in agriculture and fisheries.
“Ang losses nato is P120 million to P150 million yearly. Just imagine this has been going on, atras ta 10 to 15 years. Kung mu-forward ta naa na ang tulay, by 2033 seguro triple or quadruple na ang losses ani,” he said.
Uy added that he received daily complaints from resort owners due to the same problem.
“Every day for the last 15 years. Seguro if you include 2007 nahimo kong konsehal kay that time I was also the chairman on tourism committee, so yes grabe ang reklamo not only the resorts,” he said.
Uy said the help of the tourism stakeholders is crucial in lobbying House Bill No. 10554 or an Act Expanding the Franchise Area of Davao Light and Power Company, Inc. in Congress, which was vetoed by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. in 2022.
“We made a lot of dialogues where very crucial ang tabang sa mga tourism stakeholders in lobbying Congress didto sa House Bill that started early 2021,” he said.
Uy reiterated that the submarine cable is important to the Samaleños.
Nordeco’s P1.1 billion, 14.7-kilometer submarine cable project, which will connect Barangay Aundanao in IGaCoS, to the Pantukan grid, is expected to address power interruptions in the island.
In March last year, Nordeco announced the project would be operational by April last year. However, currently, there are no updates reported yet about the project.
Uy is now calling on Nordeco and Davao Light for them to meet halfway to solve the power problem.
Uy said the LGU of Samal is willing to establish its own submarine cable wherein the LGU can utilize Nordeco’s substation of its stalled submarine cable and tap to Davao Light’s substation in Doña Pilar, Brgy. Sasa.
