Catanduanes experiences massive electric power blackout

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The island-province of Catanduanes has been declared under a state of calamity, not because of a recent typhoon, but due to the massive power blackouts encountred in majority of the service area of the First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative.

Since the start of second quarter of 2014, the province has been experiencing 12 hours to more rotating and sometimes unscheduled brownouts which worsened two weeks ago.

The provincial legislative council (Sangguniang Panlalawigan) declared the province on Friday, July 04, 2014 under a state of calamity. It authorized Governor Araceli Wong to persuade Malacanang and government concerned agencies to augment the current power utilities in the island until the province restores its stable power supply.

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Wong has initiated several meetings with FICELCO and Napocor to find lasting ways to stop the inconvenince to everyday life and losses to businesses among Catandunganons brought about by the continued power outage in the province.

The resolution also authorizes the governor to negotiate with a reputable company for the acquisition of 600 KV generator set by the provincial government to augment power utilities in the province.

Some 12 to 48 hour regular brownouts have since been causing disastrous effects on business operations in the province posing deleterious effect to the local economy caused by the actual losses and foregone revenues.

Coop general manager Samuel Laynes assured that the power supply will be normalized as soon as the equipment arrives admitting that the big power providers in the province are not in their full capacity due to forced technical outages which resulted to a 7 MW deficiency, a huge shortage from 9MW power requirement of the province.

The continuous belectric service disruption affects national, local government offices and agencies in the province including the 40,000 member-consumers of the cooperative.

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