No electricity

It’s surprising and appalling that in this day and age, some places in the Philippines still experience intermittent electricity, or worse, none at all.

Electricity is a necessary in many aspects of our lives – for daily living, education, health care and many more.

And yet, I personally experienced power outages in some far-flung provinces I visited over the past year – in Siquijor during Holy Week last year and in Banaue, Ifugao during this run-up to the New Year.

Siquijor’s dark side

Let me tell you first about the power outages in Siquijor. This province, nestled in the Negros Island Region, is a charming and relatively untouched island filled with stories and urban legends of the supernatural and mythical.

With a population of 103,395, Siquijor attracts hundreds of tourists every year. More than 200,000 people visited the island in 2024.

And yet, the island has been plagued by blackouts. I personally experienced this when I was there in April 2025 – power outages throughout the day that lasted for hours.

At the time, I was told that the island was actually besieged by blackouts almost every day. Unfortunately, not all the hotels or resorts have generators, making it difficult for visitors because of the sweltering heat, even at night.

When I was researching the problem, I learned that there were already many complaints on social media.

Below is a post on Facebook on April 11, 2025:

“There’s a side of this island that nobody talks about and it’s serious. Power outages are non-stop, almost every day, often for hours. Sometimes there are multiple interruptions in a single day. Businesses are suffering – food in stores and restaurants go through cycles of freezing and thawing, raising serious health risks... The island’s infrastructure is outdated and yet local politicians do nothing. Corruption and neglect have left the electrical grid in ruins!!!”

Vivant bags Siquijor power supply

Against this backdrop, it’s a welcome development that the listed conglomerate Vivant Corp. secured a 15-year contract to supply electricity to the province.

Vivant Energy signed a power supply agreement with the Province of Siquijor Electric Cooperative (Prosielco) to provide 11 megawatts of capacity from its diesel plant.

The PSA, which resulted from a competitive selection process, is set to serve the municipalities of Larena, Lazi, Maria, San Juan, Enrique Villanueva and Siquijor.

This comes on the heels of Siquijor’s electricity crisis last year, which prompted the government to revoke all provisional authorities previously granted to the Villar Group’s Siquijor Island Power Corp. (Sipcor) due to poor service.

Over 500 power interruptions were recorded in Siquijor last year, averaging at least 31 outages a month, according to an audit by the National Electrification Administration.

With Sipcor ceasing operations, TotalPower Inc. has stepped in to fulfill its role through emergency PSAs with Prosielco (The STAR, Jan. 3, 2026).

I hope that this time, the residents and visitors alike of Siquijor will finally experience continuous power supply.

Access to electricity should be a basic right in the Philippines and elsewhere.

The Department of Energy and the power regulator, Energy Regulatory Commission, must be vigilant moving forward. Private sector providers must be closely watched and their contracts revoked if they fail to provide efficient, adequate and continued service.

Vivant Energy vice president for off-grid solutions Eric Omamalin said it has long been Vivant Energy’s thrust to prioritize areas that are largely underserved.

The people of Siquijor are counting on this commitment and are keeping their fingers crossed that services will finally improve on their island.

Blackout in Ifugao

From the southern Philippines, I also experienced a power outage in the north, all the way to the Cordillera region.

In Banaue, Ifugao, just before New Year’s Eve, I was surprised to learn that in the place where we stayed and in nearby establishments, there was no electricity, at least at the time of our visit.

There was a problem in one of the electricity posts, we were told by the innkeeper.

I asked who the service provider was and she said, it was a company owned by Aboitiz.

It turns out that the Ifugao Electric Cooperative is the distribution utility in the areas of Aguinaldo, Alfonso Lista, Asipulo, Banaue, Hingyon, Hungduan, Kiangan, Lagawe, Lamut, Mayoyao and Tinoc, with SN Aboitiz Power as their supplier, providing renewable energy to IFELCO.

To be fair, it was not clear what the exact cause of the power outage was, but the innkeeper said it struck days ago. Thus, when we were there, it was already the third day without electricity in the area.

This may sound like a short time, but in far-flung provinces like Ifugao, a power outage can be very critical, especially in health care and in times of calamities or emergencies. When there is no power, there is also no WiFi, so it’s difficult to communicate with other cities and municipalities.

DUs and their suppliers must make sure that electricity, especially in off-grid areas, is continuously provided.

And in cases where there is a sudden outage, back-up electricity or generators must likewise be provided by the DUs.

Electricity, like water and internet connectivity, should no longer be a luxury or just a privilege for those living in city centers.

These services must be accessible to every Filipino, whether in Metro Manila, on a fabled island of witches and warlocks or in a faraway sleepy town up north.

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Email: [email protected]. Follow her on X 
@eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.