LIPA CITY – Residents from various municipalities appealed for better service from the local power cooperative following recurring outages that have hit the province.

Residents specifically asked Batangas II Electric Cooperative (Batelec II) which is the distributor of electric power to San Juan, Taysan, Lobo, Rosario, Mabini, Tingloy, Bauan, San Pascual, Ibaan, Alitagtag, Cuenca, San Jose, Mataas na Kahoy, Balete, Padre Garcia, Malvar, Talisay, Laurel, and Batangas City.

Power consumers in the Batelec II-serviced areas decried the recurring scheduled power outages coupled with the high generation rates levied upon them.

They said the frequent power interruptions can last up to several hours, resulting in great inconvenience in daily lives and massive losses to businesses.

Nina Balogo, a local business owner in Taysan, said her livelihood was greatly impacted by the unreliable and fluctuating power service. Balogo runs a piggery and each power interruption had a double effect on her operations.

Power outages at the piggery also resulted in water service interruption, a crucial utility used in daily operations.

Mae Panganiban, a housewife in Lobo, said the almost daily power interruptions have negatively impacted her family’s health and well-being. The dry season is exacerbated by lack of power service resulting in sleepless nights and bouts of flu.

Another sector affected are the work-from-home employees who are heavily reliant on consistent service, both internet and electricity, to fulfill their daily tasks.

Ruth Manguiat from Mabini and Yanna Yee from Lipa City expressed their frustration about having to find alternative workspaces outside their homes every time a scheduled power interruption is announced, defeating the purpose of their work-from-home arrangements.

Aside from the life and livelihood inconveniences brought by frequent service interruptions, another concern is the strain the unreliable electricity puts on their appliances.

Constant surges and outages affect electrical components and cause early degradation and even breakage.

The rising uproar among Batangas residents against Batelec II has reached the local government. Members of the municipal council of Lobo, Batangas, Councilor John Michael Anyayahan and Councilor Mark Tiu, have expressed their dismay towards the underperforming electric cooperative and have filed resolutions to formalize these complaints. Concerned officials are hoping the resolutions ultimately reach the Congress for immediate action.

Tiu said Batelec II system and infrastructure are outdated and are currently insufficient to effectively and efficiently electrify the municipalities under its service.

He added that in case the current cooperative is unable or unwilling to overhaul and upgrade its facilities, the municipality is open to a congressional intervention to improve the service for all Batangueños.

House Deputy Majority Leader and ACT-CIS Rep. Erwin Tulfo has also filed a resolution along with other legislators calling for the removal of franchise from underperforming power cooperatives across the country.

Batelec II Consumer Services and Public Relations Manager Joan Orias said the power interruptions across Batangas are due to storms and other weather disturbances that cause damage to power lines and insulations. It was recently reported that damages to five power lines across Lipa City caused class cancellations at De La Salle Lipa. 

Over 90 percent of Batangas, a prime tourist destination and highly industrialized province in the Calabarzon region, is serviced by Batelec I and Batelec II.