Solve Boracay power woes, Napocor told

BORACAY – The Department of Tourism (DOT) and owners of establishments here are asking the National Power Corp. (Napocor) to promptly address power fluctuations hounding this resort island.

The problem, caused by a damaged underwater power cable, has forced establishment owners to use generators to prevent their stored food from spoiling and to avoid further inconvenience for their local and foreign guests.

Members of the Boracay Foundation Inc. and the Boracay Chamber of Commerce and Industry raised their concerns to Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano during his visit last Saturday.

Accompanying Durano were DOT Undersecretary Eduardo Jarque Jr. and Victoria Jasmin, chief of the DOT’s Office of Tourism Standards.

During his visit, Durano also inspected some of the newly constructed hotels on the island, including Asya, Boracay Tropics Beach, Microtel and Discovery Shores, to ensure that their operations comply with local and DOT standards.

Annabelle Wisniewski, president of the HSAI-Raintree management company which operates the 88-suite Discovery Shores, said the power fluctuations hounded Boracay establishments during the summer – from February to the first week of May – when the island had to cope with the huge influx of tourists.

“There were times when we decided to continue using a generator system, especially at night, to avoid further damage to stored food and appliances,” she said.

Durano said he has instructed DOT officials in Aklan to continue coordinating with the Napocor to finally solve the power problem. Supplying power to the island is the Aklan Electric Cooperative (Akelco).

Edwin Trompeta, DOT-Region 6 (Western Visayas) director, said one of two underwater cables supplying electricity to the island was damaged after a barge hit it during a typhoon last January.

Trompeta said the repair of the damaged cable would take some time and would cost about P100 million, including increasing its transmission capacity. The cable, which only cost P12 million when it was installed in 1985, supplied five megawatts (MW) to the island.

At present, Trompeta said the 1,083-hectare Boracay island, which has about 6,000 residents, needs about 15 MW as commercial establishments have mushroomed there over the years.

Based on DOT statistics, a total of 234,487 foreign and domestic tourists visited the island from January to April this year, up by 40 percent compared to the same period last year. Figures for the month of May are not yet available.