Samal Island remains without power after cargo vessel hit marine cable

DAVAO CITY— Samal Island has remained without power supply since last Wednesday when a local cargo vessel accidentally hit a marine cable that brings electricity to the area.

Samal Island Mayor Rogelio Antalan has already sought the intervention of President Arroyo for the island to be placed under a state of emergency due to the problems brought about by the lack of power supply for a long period.

The island, located right across Davao City, is considered as the region’s leading tourist haven where numerous beach resorts are located.

Antalan urged that an inter-agency crisis management committee be immediately convened to address the problems now being encountered by the island’s more than 85,000 residents.

The repair of the marine cable would reportedly take at least three months just as when the island also experienced total power failure in 1988.

Philippine Coast Guard Southern Mindanao regional chief Gilbert Rueras told The STAR that the damaged marine cable would soon be brought to the surface so that the necessary repairs could be immediately be done.

"We have put our divers on stand by as well as the barge that would be used in bringing the damaged cable up," Rueras said.

He explained that personnel of the Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative (Daneco) also still have to determine the extent of the damage. "There may be other parts of the cable that have leaks," he said.

Rueras likewise said that a thorough investigation shall be conducted on who was really responsible for the incident although initial reports bared the M/V Moses cargo vessel accidentally dropped its anchor where Daneco’s marine cable was located.

"The anchor hit the cable, that’s why there was a leak and it affected the supply of power to the island," Rueras said.