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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider The Economy devider DOE rushes to fix off-grid power woes in Siquijor, Camotes Islands

DOE rushes to fix off-grid power woes in Siquijor, Camotes Islands

Published Jul 9, 2025 04:14 pm
Energy Assistant Secretary Mario Marasigan
Energy Assistant Secretary Mario Marasigan
The Department of Energy (DOE) said the agency is addressing persistent power interruptions in off-grid areas, particularly Siquijor and Camotes Island, as it began rolling out short-term solutions to stabilize electricity supply.
In a briefing on Wednesday, July 9, Energy Assistant Secretary Mario Marasigan said that daily evaluations in Siquijor revealed issues with non-compliant suppliers, as some were reportedly using facilities or generating units not yet cleared by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
“While we may say that we have overcapacity in the island, there are problems with the design of our distribution system; it is not in accordance with the efficient one,” Marasigan told reporters.
He explained that Siquijor's lateral distribution system limits its generating facilities. This design issue, coupled with the need for manual overrides of generating units to adjust to varying load centers, contributes to delays in power restoration.
To tackle this, the DOE has given stakeholders two months to complete a study and implement a looping configuration for Siquijor.
Marasigan noted that the Province of Siquijor Electric Cooperative (PROSIELCO) and the National Transmission Corporation (TransCo) have already completed their studies and are now in the implementation phase.
PROSIELCO has also filed for approval of its budget for the looping system, while the DOE is monitoring the island's daily fuel inventory, which currently stands at a five-day supply and is reportedly improving.
Additionally, PROSIELCO and its supplier have applied with the ERC for provisional authority for some units, with full certificates of compliance already filed for others.
Camotes Islands situation
The DOE has also assessed Camotes Island in Cebu, where some generating units remain under repair and backup systems are not meeting regulatory procedures.
The agency assured that mitigating measures are in place. The Camotes Electric Cooperative (CELCO) has initiated a three-phase program to enhance its distribution facilities, including the use of insulated wires and the addition of a three-phase distribution system to replace the current single-phase system.
Looking ahead, Marasigan said that Camotes Island has the potential to host renewable energy (RE) projects. The private sector has already initiated a floating solar facility in Lake Danau.
“We are looking for possibilities of facilitating the testing and commissioning of the 600 kilowatt (KW) solar energy generation,” he added.

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Department of Energy (DOE)
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