DOE: Mindanao power woes over with Pulangi rehab

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines  – Here’s good news for Mindanao residents. After experiencing blackouts for five months, they are in for some relief.

This, as the Department of Energy (DOE) announced that stable power supply has been restored on the island following the repair ahead of schedule of the Pulangi 4 hydroelectric power plant in Bukidnon.

Energy Undersecretary Josefina Asirit bared this last Thursday afternoon in a dialogue with stakeholders at the Zamboanga City Hall.

The dialogue was an offshoot of the series of meetings here with the DOE and the energy summit in Davao City last April 13 aimed at finding medium- and long-term solutions for the Mindanao power crisis.

Asirit said the Pulangi 4 plant has been fully rehabilitated and has already supplied, as of Thursday, an initial 200 megawatts. 

“Starting today (Thursday), power has been restored in the region as the rehabilitation of Pulangi 4 has been completed,” she said.

Asirit said the rehabilitation of the Pulangi 4 plant, which cost state-run National Power Corp. P11 million, was completed ahead of the target date.

Tiolo Soliven, president of the Zamboanga City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, expressed hope that the DOE could also fully rehabilitate the Agus hydroelectric power plant to avert another power crisis in Mindanao.