FORMER Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri has asked the national government to come up with a tourism master plan and specific amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) to address the debilitating power woes undermining the country’s tourism industry.
Zubiri made the statement during his interpellation of Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel’s counter-State of the Nation Address delivered recently at the plenary.
Pimentel aired concerns on the power issues plaguing tourist destinations such as Siargao, the so-called surfing capital of the Philippines.
“If there is a master plan in flood control, I hope there is also a master plan for tourism which will focus on these tourist destinations that have been bringing income to our country,” said Zubiri
He said a big part of this tourism master plan should be to ensure the availability of power sources for the continuous supply of electricity not only to residents but also to establishments in the tourism industry.
In discussing the electricity challenges faced by residents in tourist destinations, Zubiri recounted his recent visit to Siargao over the weekend with his family, saying the island is reeling from frequent power outages.
“The power outage there is so bad. The resort where we were staying had to open its genset from 10 in the evening to 7 in the morning because power is fluctuating in Siargao," he said.
Zubiri noted that the islanders were paying high power rates at P16 per kwh.
He said he was able to speak to a trader in the ice production business, similar to his own venture, whom he said was suffering tremendously due to the power outages on the island.
“The point here is that unless we solve this problem of electricity, we will have a big problem with investment opportunities” he said.
“I hope the Department of Tourism, the Department of Energy and other departments concerned: (Siargao) is a crown jewel of our tourism destinations,” also said Zubiri.
“We are probably paying one of the most expensive rates in all of Asia, maybe next to Japan.
When you go to other countries, they have very low electricity rates, he added.
With this, he said he would be pushing amendments to the EPIRA to address the problem of frequent power outages and the high costs of electricity in the Philippines.
Pimentel, as the minority leader, said he agrees with Zubiri and will work with the majority to amend the EPIRA.
Zubiri recalled that when he was still the Senate President, he would always ask during the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meetings the specific amendments the national government wanted in the EPIRA to address high costs of electricity and the power outages across the country.
“And we now focus on the DOE (Department of Energy), what amendments do you want, Mr. DOE? Until now, they have not submitted the amendments to the EPIRA,” he said.
“I hope we have already the specific amendments, and I am glad that the gentleman from Cagayan de Oro is willing to work with the majority in trying to pass amendments to the EPIRA.
“Through the leadership (of the government), let’s ask them what those amendments are,
because for the last two years I’ve been asking them that. It’s part of the LEDAC priority measures but we don’t know the specifics,” Zubiri said.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline Zubiri, Pimentel calls out energy shortage in Philippine tourism hotspots
