Since December 1, a power outage on Siargao Island has disrupted the lives of thousands, sparking urgent appeals for a state of calamity declaration to address the crisis.
The outage began when the 34.5 kilovolt (kV) breaker at the Barangay Cagdianao Substation in Claver tripped early on December 1 due to a line ground fault, cutting off the submarine cable linking Siargao to mainland Mindanao.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan is set to hold a special session on Monday to deliberate the proposal.
“A special session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan was called by Vice Governor Eddie Gokiangkee Jr. on Friday (Dec. 6) but was not pushed through due to the lack of quorum,” said Surigao del Norte government information office Janis Medina Reginio.
Residents are also grappling with water shortages, as many municipalities rely on pumps powered by electricity to supply household water, said Janis Medina Reginio from the Surigao del Norte government information office.
Siargao Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SIARELCO), which supplies power to over 36,000 households and businesses across nine municipalities, is spearheading repair efforts, with divers and experts continuing their search for the fault.
In a statement issued Saturday night, SIARELCO said that cable-lifting operations had not identified a line fault in the suspected damaged section of the submarine cable.
Governor Robert Lyndon Barbers has mobilized the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to coordinate relief measures, including fuel deliveries and generator sets provided by the Office of Civil Defense.
Surigao del Norte First District Representative Francisco Jose Matugas II has announced that 30 generator sets and 300 solar panels will soon arrive to aid recovery efforts.
