MARAWI CITY – A massive blackout is well in the offing in the province of Lanao del Sur if its power provider fails to settle its outstanding obligations to Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines.
The Lanao del Sur Electric Cooperative Incorporated (Lasureco), which services a total of 1,181 barangays in 37 municipalities in Lanao Del Sur and three more municipalities in Lanao del Norte including Marawi City, has outstanding obligations to PSALM in the amount of P12,908,762,075.19 as of April 30, 2022.
On May 31, 2022, Lasureco received a notice of suspension of service and on June 1, 2022 a notice of disconnection from the transmission network both from NGCP.
PSALM has requested NGCP to disconnect Lasureco from the transmission/distribution network for failure to settle the amount. The disconnection order was supposed to have been carried out at 9 O’clock in the morning of June 8, 2022.
Lasureco general manager Nordjiana L. Dipatuan-Ducol in an interview said they have replied to PSALM on June 1 asking to recall the notice of disconnection but to no avail.
On June 6, Lasureco filed through its counsel a Petition for Ex-Parte Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) with Prayer for Preliminary Mandatory Injunction before the Regional Trial Court of Lanao Del Sur here.
On June 7, the petition was granted.
"This Ex-parte Temporary Restraining Order shall be effective for seventy-two (72) hours from issuance," said Executive Judge Wenida B.M. Papandayan who issued the order restraining PSALM and NGCP from disconnecting Lasureco from the power grind.
Ducol said Lasureco is servicing more than a million population. "Iyan po ang masakit, kung magkaroon ng massive blackout in Lanao del Sur, affected po is more than one million population.”
“Definitely, there will be socio-economic crises, including hospitals and security concerns,” Ducol stated.
Ducol said that when she assumed office on January 29, 2017, Lasureco already had an outstanding account to PSALM in the amount of P10 billion which has now snowballed to P12.9 billion.
"Pero ang utang na iyan ay accumulated-inherited and accumulated arrears, so kung baga iyong previous administration nung una nagtuluy-tuloy, na-accumulated po iyan, kaya lomobo po ng hanggang P12 billon," explained Ducol.
“Pag-assume ko, si Lasureco walang-wala siya. Although gusto Namin i-metro lahat ng mga bahay, mga household, hindi Namin magawa kasi wala kaming funding, walang subsidy na galing sa government doon sa operational naming," lamented Ducol.
To make the situation worse for Lasureco, a siege happened in Marawi City in May 2017, followed by Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
"Iyong nagka-siege po tayo, konti-konti nakaka-recover po...nagka-pandemic. Ngayon na medyo nagka-normal na ang pandemic, ito na naman," stressed Ducol.
In line with the disconnection issue, Ducol has appealed to the president and Chief Executive Officer of PSALM to reconsider their decision.
"Huwag naman po ngayon, iyong utang na iyan accumulated na iyan more than years ago, accumulated-inherited arrears iyan. Please po, maawa po kayo sa mga taga-Lanao del Sur. Alam po namin obligasyon namin, bigyan niyo po kami ng pagkakataon na ma-restructure natin, maupuan natin ito," pleaded Ducol.
Ducol said the local government of Lanao del Sur, as well as all the stakeholders, are willing to help in paying the outstanding debt.
"Nananawagan po ako lalung-lalo na sa bagong presidente natin at ang bise-presidente na bigyan ninyo kami ng pagkakataon na makabayad at ma-arrange kung ano mang skema ang gusto ninyo, huwag lang kaming maputulan ng ilaw," she added.
Ducol also urged Lanao del Sur residents to be responsible in their obligation, particularly in paying their electric bills.
"Sana po mga BangsaMaranao maging responsible naman tayo sa obligasyon natin. It's time siguro na mag-move forward tayo at saka i-erase na natin sa mindset natin na sa atin ang Lanao.”
"Sana maintindihan natin na ito si PSALM binabayaran natin because sila iyong nag-generate doon sa pagbibigay ng electricity. Kung wala si
PSALM kahit may tubig tayo, may lake tayo-hindi po siya nakaka-generate ng electricity," said Ducol.
"Please po, matuto po tayong bumayad. Kung nasa Manila tayo, Cagayan, ILIGAN bumabayad tayo, bakit dito sa Lanao hindi? Huwag po nating lokohin ang sarili nating bayan, kasi sa atin ito,” she stated.