DoE tackles Mindoro power supply problem

STAKEHOLDERS GATHERED earlier this week to tackle the longstanding power supply problems in Mindoro, including Lubang Island, which have been addressed mostly through remedial measures, the Department of Energy said in a statement. “Today’s gathering aims to uphold what is best for our province and the Mindoreños. What runs deep among all of us here today is our desire for Mindoro’s progress. Crucial to this is having sufficient, reliable, and affordable electricity for all,” DoE Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said in his opening message during the first Power Summit for Mindoro Islands on Nov. 4 in Calapan City. Divided into the two provinces of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, with Lubang under Occidental Mindoro, the islands have for years “been plagued by various power issues,” according to DoE. These include unstable supply due to old and typhoon-battered power facilities, heavily subsidized generation rates due to strong dependence on diesel and bunker fuel, delays in proposed energy projects, uneven electrification rates, and administrative issues of electric cooperatives (ECs). The summit participants included local government officials, representatives from ECs, National Electrification Administration, National Power Corporation, and the private sector. The DoE has proposed a major strategic planning study on an Integrated Power Development Master Plan for the islands.