GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Business leaders in General Santos City have expressed growing concern over recurring power interruptions and the financial condition of local electric cooperatives, warning that continued instability in the energy sector could weaken investor confidence and hinder economic growth in one of Mindanao’s key commercial centers.

The issue was among the major concerns raised during the Mindanao Business Sector Dialogue led by Leo Tereso Magno, where representatives from the business community called for stronger government action to address long-standing infrastructure and energy challenges affecting the region.

According to the General Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc., participants highlighted several priority concerns, including the modernization of ports, recurring electricity supply issues, the acceleration of major infrastructure projects, and persistent challenges facing the fishing industry.

Among these concerns, the reliability of power supply emerged as one of the most pressing issues.

Chamber President Miguel Rene Dominguez earlier warned that reported financial losses incurred by SOCOTECO II, combined with recurring brownouts, have contributed to uncertainty among investors and local businesses already grappling with rising operating costs.

“So takot rin ang mga negosyante ngayon na baka one day, tagilid ang patakbo, lahat tayo maapektuhan. Ang pinakamahal na kuryente iyong walang kuryente,” Dominguez said, emphasizing that unreliable power service poses a greater threat to businesses than high electricity rates.

The concern reflects broader challenges across parts of Mindanao, where power reliability has long been viewed as a critical factor in attracting investments, supporting industrial growth, and ensuring business continuity.

As the region’s premier trade and export hub and widely recognized as the country’s tuna capital, General Santos City relies heavily on stable electricity to sustain fish processing facilities, cold storage operations, manufacturing plants, and port-related activities.

Business leaders noted that even short power interruptions can disrupt production schedules, affect food preservation systems, and increase operational costs, particularly for industries dependent on continuous refrigeration and processing.

Mindanao’s power sector has historically faced challenges linked to aging infrastructure, transmission constraints, dependence on baseload generation facilities, and periodic disruptions in power supply. While the island’s energy situation has improved significantly compared to the rotational brownouts experienced more than a decade ago, concerns over distribution reliability and utility management continue to influence investor sentiment in several growth areas.

The issue carries added significance as Mindanao seeks to position itself as a competitive investment destination under the government’s regional development agenda.

The Chamber said the dialogue forms part of MinDA’s ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration between government and industry, identify opportunities in priority sectors, and promote Mindanao as an inclusive and competitive investment hub.

For his part, Magno has consistently advocated stronger public-private sector coordination to accelerate infrastructure development, improve connectivity, and attract more investments across the island-region.

However, business leaders stressed that ambitious development goals could be undermined if persistent energy concerns remain unresolved.

For investors and industries that depend on uninterrupted operations, they said, reliable electricity remains one of the most important indicators of long-term economic stability — underscoring the view that the most expensive electricity is not costly power, but the absence of power altogether.