Power fluctuations, outages pester Zambo residents anew

ZAMBOANGA CITY – After months of “smooth” operations by the Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative (ZAMCELCO), complaints are mounting again over the continued voltage fluctuations and power outages here and electric consumers are outraged by the poor services of the cooperative.

 

Broken ZAMCELCO electric meters pose hazards to residents in Zamboanga City. (Al Jacinto) 

Frequent power fluctuation and unannounced outages have been noticed the past months, especially at night and dawn. Cooperative officials have not released any statement on the causes of the power fluctuations and outages, but residents were unhappy.

 

The commentary section of the ZAMCELCO Facebook page was even disabled by its administrator so as not to make public the anger of the electric consumers.

 

Posted only on its social media page were the scheduled maintenance and repair works, but not the cause of the frequent power fluctuation and unannounced outages.

Since 2019 after Crown Investments Holdings, Inc. and Desco Inc. took over and bailed out the heavily-indebted and poorly-managed ZAMCELCO for P2.5 billion, the problems are still the same and residents continue to suffer as they did the past several decades.

ZAMCELCO has been blaming its problems on the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines – 40% of it is owned by China. Power consumers complained that the frequent voltage fluctuations and brownouts not only are a pestering problem for them, but the surge of electricity had destroyed their appliances. 

One resident said she has a collection of at least 3 air conditioners which broke down due to voltage fluctuations over the past years, and repairing them was more expensive than buying a new unit. “Worst, that’s all I can say,” she said, referring to the services of the electric cooperative then and now.

Last November, a bomb explosion toppled a concrete electric pole and cut off power to a remote village about 82 kilometers from downtown Zamboanga. Police said the bomber used ANFO or ammonium nitrate fuel oil, but would not say whether the blast in the village of Tumitus was carried out by the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf or other rebel groups.

Engr. Gannymede Tiu, ZAMCELCO general manager, said the bombing had damaged the pole. “The blast toppled one of the concrete poles and there was no report of casualties, although the blast cut off power in the area and repair works are going on as we speak,” he said then.

Tiu believes the bomber may have left the improvised explosive on the base of the electric pole to avoid being caught by patrolling security forces. “I believe the bomber never intended to target our electric pole, otherwise he should have bombed our substation nearby,” he said. 

No individual or group claimed responsibility for the bombing, but previous attacks had been largely blamed on the Abu Sayyaf, a small, but notorious extremist group whose leaders have pledged allegiance with the Islamic State.

Security forces continue to fight the Abu Sayyaf in the neighboring island-province of Basilan, about 34.5 nautical miles south of Zamboanga. (Mindanao Examiner)