President Marcos has given private power provider Siquijor Island Power Corp. (SIPCOR) six months to fully resolve the energy crisis in Siquijor, warning that failure to deliver a permanent solution is not an option.

Marcos said this following weeks of island-wide blackouts and rotational brownouts in Siquijor, where residents reported having power for only two to five hours daily.

In a media interview, the President said the power shortage has disrupted not just the daily lives of residents, but also business activity and the province’s growing tourism sector.

“The people are the victims of this situation. They cannot go about their business,” he said.

“Siquijor is growing so quickly, it’s becoming a tourist destination. We are losing that opportunity to develop dahil nga dito sa kakulangan ng kuryente (because of the lack of electricity),” he added.

Marcos said they have to come up with a solution within six months.

"We have given ourselves a deadline of six months. Six months from now, we will then impose whatever new arrangements we have to do, so that six months from now, we do not have to resort to emergency gensets," he said.

"In the six months, tatrabahuhin namin na maayos na—na para meron na tayong permanent solution na ipapaandar (we will work to come up with a permanent solution to implement) six months from now," he added.

President Marcos called out SIPCOR, saying the company must fulfill its obligations to the local electric cooperative and the people of Siquijor.

"SIPCOR has to live up to its commitments," he said.

“The government will do its part. SIPCOR must do its part,” he added.

According to Marcos, part of the long-term plan will involve not only fixing damaged infrastructure but also improving fuel supply, upgrading transmission lines, and ensuring that backup generators are working properly.

When asked what happens if SIPCOR fails to comply, Marcos replied that this was unacceptable.

“Hindi pwedeng ‘paanong hindi ibibigay’—hindi pwede (It’s not a question of ‘what if they don’t deliver’—they must). Talk to the people na walang kuryente (who have no electricity)," he said.

"The governor has to explain that to his people every day. The cooperative is paying properly. The problem is the provider," he added.

In a press briefing, Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the President has ordered a “full legal review” and audit of the agreement between SIPCOR and the Province of Siquijor Electric Cooperative

“Layon din nitong alamin ang naging pagkukulang at pananagutin ang dapat managot at tiyakin na hindi na ito mauulit (This aims to determine the shortcomings, hold the responsible parties accountable, and ensure this won’t happen again),” she said.

To stabilize the power supply, President Marcos said the government had dispatched two large generator sets from Palawan to temporarily augment Siquijor’s needs. These are expected to arrive within the day.

"As we speak, we have deployed gensets from Palawan to temporarily restore the power supply, but this is only a short-term fix,” he said.

“Kapag naikabit na ’yon at mapaandar na ’yon, kumpleto na ang suplay (Once those are installed and running, the supply will be complete),” he added.

Marcos stressed that while the gensets offer short-term relief, the government’s goal is a complete, permanent fix.

The modular genset from the Palawan Electric Cooperative aims to address the current power supply deficiency in the province while SIPCOR, its official supplier, continues to repair three of its damaged generation units.

Meanwhile, the President also responded to calls by some Siquijodnons to bring in a new energy supplier.

“Everything is on the table. We just have to examine what is the best solution," he said.

He said the energy administrator has presented a framework, and more details will be shared after final planning is completed.

“We will find a better system. We owe it to the people of Siquijor," Marcos said.