The Diocese of Virac has joined in the call of the provincial board and the Sangguniang Bayan of Virac on the National Electrification Administration to resolve the power interruptions in the province.
In a letter dated May 23, 2018 to NEA administrator Edgardo Masongsong, Bishop Manolo delos Santos pointed out the persistent inaction of the First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative Inc. to address “the clamor of its members-consumers for all the unreasonable and continuous power outages, and electric supply troubles in the province.”
The bishop added this issue had been brought to the attention of Ficelco by the different private and government entities, but the cooperative continued to refuse to provide solutions to all the power interruption issues.
Last May 22, residents of Catanduanes flocked to the Ficelco headquarters in Marinawa, Bato, and demanded that Alexander Ang Hung, Ficelco’s board of directors president, immediately resign for his alleged failure to act on the issues.
Parts of the clamor of the residents are for Ficelco to immediately turn over the 3.6 MW Marinawa Power Plant to National Power Corp. and to install the 6.6MW generator sets of the Sunwest Water Electric Company Inc. to address the frequent power interruptions in the province.
Delos Santos asked NEA to take measures and ensure the protection of the welfare of the Catandunganons.
Members-consumers of Ficelcoare also enraged that from 2011 to 2016, they were charged P48 million for the Foregone Energy Fee of the Catanduanes Power Generation Inc. when its lease contract for the Marinawa Daihatsu Diesel Power Plant was terminated by the NPC; and P25 million for the fuel storage it used to generate power which was not delivered and hence never used by the people.
Catandunganons are demanding the immediate refund of the money they unjustly paid for the power they did not consume, the diocese said in a statement.