Residents of the Island Garden City of Samal are celebrating the restoration of consistent electricity service after weeks of rotational brownouts. The Northern Davao Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NORDECO) has announced that the brownouts were lifted following the successful energization of the 8-megawatt modular generator sets operated by the IGACOS Light and Power Company (ILPC).
Photos by Sonny Lanorias
The new generators were activated early this morning, April 18, 2024, marking a significant milestone in the efforts to provide stable and reliable power to the island. According to NORDECO, these generators are now fully operational, which has allowed the utility to cancel the rotational brownouts that had been affecting the region.
While the ILPC generators are running at full capacity, NORDECO has also reported that the generator sets owned by the City Government of Samal are on standby. Maintenance is still ongoing for NORDECO’s own generators, but the utility has assured consumers that these units are expected to return to service soon.
In a statement, NORDECO expressed its gratitude to the residents of Samal for their patience and understanding during the difficult weeks of intermittent power. “To our Samalenyo-member-consumer-owners, we truly appreciate your utmost patience and understanding for the past weeks. Together, let us continue to work together for the continuous and reliable power supply in the Island,” said the statement.
Adding to the positive developments, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) Administrator Antonio Mariano “Nani” C. Almeda conducted an inspection of the newly energized facilities. His visit underscores the importance of the project, which is expected to have a lasting impact on the island’s development and economic growth.
As Samal moves forward with a more stable power supply, the community looks to a future where economic activities can proceed without the interruptions that have plagued them in the past. Meanwhile, the people of Samal are waiting for NORDECO to connect the island to the Mindanao grid. Mayor Al David Uy issued a warning to NORDECO to expedite the connection as a long-term solution to the power problems on the island.
