THE Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos) unveiled a 500-kilovolt ampere (KVA) grid-tie Renewable Energy Project to help address the city’s consistent power interruptions.
Al David T. Uy, Igacos mayor, said during the blessing and turnover ceremony on Thursday, February 6, 2025, at the City Hall, that the project has multiple purposes. It will not only provide power to several areas but will also serve as a parking area that can accommodate about 150 vehicles.
“The 50 million-peso-worth project is perceived to be dual-hatted as it will not only supply power to the City Hall, Philippine National Police, Tourist Rest Area, new public market, and terminal but will also serve as a parking area that can accommodate approximately 150 cars,” Samal Island Information Office wrote in its Facebook post on February 6, 2025.
Uy expressed his appreciation to the companies that made the P50-million project possible. He said that without HG Agri Industrial Machineries, Greenergy Development Corporation, and the Ninth City Council, the project would not have become a reality.
The event was also attended by Senator Imee Marcos, who expressed her support for Igacos through her signing of House Bill 11072 and Senate Bill 2888. These bills seek to expand the franchise coverage of Davao Light and Power Company, Inc. (Davao Light) to areas currently serviced by Northern Davao Electric Cooperative Inc. (Nordeco), including Igacos.
It can be recalled that Nordeco sent an open letter to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on January 30, 2025, appealing not to sign Senate Bill No. 2888/House Bill No. 11072 to protect constitutional integrity, public interest, and rural electrification.
The company stated that they wrote the letter to draw his attention to the legal and constitutional importance of the pending bills and to request his support in preventing their passage.
Igacos has struggled with power interruptions and declared a state of calamity as it continues to experience intermittent power outages. The declaration remains in effect until the first quarter of 2025.
The island’s tourism industry has suffered a significant setback, with tourist arrivals dropping from 20 percent to 10 percent in 2023 due to unresolved electricity issues. The residents have been grappling with prolonged and frequent blackouts, which have affected their daily lives as well as the local tourism sector. RGP
