Palawan power cooperative under scrutiny

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — A local coalition of stakeholders in this city and the province of Palawan, who are deeply frustrated by the persistent power issues, called upon national legislators and relevant government agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into the performance of the Palawan Electric Cooperative as the electricity distributor.

The coalition — the Palawan Electric Cooperative Members, Consumers and Owners — argued that Paleco has consistently delivered subpar service over an extended period and advocates for an examination to determine if it should continue to operate as the distributor of power in the province.

"The people of Palawan have long suffered from the inadequate service provided by Paleco. We call on government agencies and lawmakers to investigate Paleco and determine whether it deserves to remain as the electric distributor in our province," Dr. Tony Cabrestante, one of the leaders of the Paleco MCOs, said.

He stressed that the power interruptions have adverse effects not only on the MCOs but also on the provincial economy, which is heavily dependent on both domestic and global tourism and is still in the process of recovering from government-imposed lockdowns and natural calamities.

The coalition underscored that repeated and prolonged power outages, frequently happening beyond the scheduled maintenance periods of the National Power Corporation have significantly harmed businesses that rely on a consistent and uninterrupted source of electricity.

"Many businesses in Palawan have voiced their grievances, citing financial losses due to Paleco's unreliable service. The tourism industry in our province is suffering," said the group.

Between 26 and 29 November, the Paleco MCOs documented several instances of brownouts, lasting from four to six hours each.