Nestled in Negros, the island province of Siquijor has been hailed by online travel platform Agoda as the country’s fastest-rising destination, thanks to its white-sand beaches, vibrant dive sites, and pristine waterfalls.
As it has become a favored destination for international travelers seeking a quieter, off-the-beaten-path experience, Siquijor is now witnessing significant investments in tourism infrastructure. An upgraded airport is in the works, and around 460 new hotel rooms are expected in the coming years, as developers respond to growing demand.
Yet the same growth that boosted Siquijor’s global appeal is also exposing its weak power system. Though the Province of Siquijor Electric Cooperative (Prosielco) signed a 20-year deal with Siquijor Island Power Corp. (SIPCOR) in 2015, demand has since outpaced supply.
In April 2025, The Department of Energy (DoE) revealed that Siquijor’s electricity demand had climbed to 9.3 megawatts (MW), exceeding the 8.16 MW supplied under its contract with SIPCOR.
As a result, the island is plagued by constant blackouts, with one exasperated resident dubbing Siquijor the “brownout capital of the Philippines.” Some residents urged tourists to avoid the island in summer. Alongside frequent blackouts, parts of the province are also facing water shortages.
(Also read: Stunning Shores, Unstable Power: A Tale of Two Realities)
What led to Siquijor’s state of calamity
Everything unraveled when all six diesel generators at SIPCOR’s lone power plant conked out during simultaneous overhauls in May. The loss of roughly 2 MW triggered up‑to‑five‑hour rolling blackouts, leaving some barangays with only two hours of electricity a day.
On June 3, 2025, Siquijor’s Provincial Government, through its Sangguniang Panlalawigan, officially placed the province under a state of calamity in response to the worsening energy emergency. The measure cleared the way for Siquijor officials to tap the province’s Quick Response Fund for rapid relief efforts.
Provincial Board Member Brylle Deeiah Tumarong-Quio reported, “The interruptions have paralyzed essential services including water distribution, health care delivery, education, communication, and sanitation, and have caused job losses among online workers, disruptions to tourism, and severe economic setbacks.”
Governor Jake Villa raised concerns that the persistent blackouts were doing more than causing routine disruptions—they were placing the province’s tourism-reliant economy at serious risk.
“Last year, our tourist arrivals hit 1.3 million,” he stated “If we lose our tourists because they are not satisfied with the services of the establishments, this would interrupt and disrupt our economy.” Villa also noted that during the outage, the provincial hospital relied on solar panels and a generator to stay operational.
On June 11, President Marcos visited the province and noted the severe toll that prolonged power outages have taken on residents and businesses. “The people of Siquijor are the victims here, and we need to fix this immediately,” he said.
Three days later, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) announced it had fast-tracked fixes on SIPCOR’s generator units and coordinated the delivery and setup of a unit from the Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO), helping restore electricity to Siquijor.
However, Marcos acknowledged that the generator sets are a short-term solution. “Within six months, we will have a permanent fix in place so that we don’t have to rely on emergency generators again,” he promised.
(Also read: Visayas and Mindanao Are Growing Fast—Is the Power Supply Ready?)
Who’s to blame?
Even before the state of emergency was declared, national energy agencies conducted an inspection from May 6 to 7, confirming widespread power failures and validating consumer complaints.
The crisis was blamed on technical faults, regulatory issues, and a supply mismatch. Though SIPCOR had 11.580 MW in capacity, only 8.816 MW was supplied to Prosielco, not enough to meet Siquijor’s 10.51 MW power needs. Consumer group Partners for Affordable and Reliable Energy (PARE) added that demand surged to 20 MW during peak tourist season.
In a letter dated May 28, Prosielco criticized SIPCOR for repeated power disruptions, blaming the utility’s failure to maintain its generators. The cooperative said public frustration had reached a tipping point, with residents turning to social media to demand action from the NEA.
“It is disheartening that, despite all forms of assistance extended to SIPCOR, the latter remained defiant in the performance of its obligation,” the letter stated. “The latter’s callousness in listening to the clamor of the Siquijodnon manifests its brazen disregard of the Province’s welfare.”
The DoE has directed Prosielco to overhaul its power supply and distribution strategies so the cooperative can line up new electricity sources.
But SIPCOR is not the only one under fire — regulators have also turned their spotlight on the island’s distributor. A recent field audit uncovered lapses in Prosielco’s network, including overdue infrastructure relocations and improper sectionalizing gear.
Columnist Iris Gonzales, who recently visited Siquijor in the midst of recurring blackouts, wrote, “I’m not sure of the cause of the power outage in Siquijor but it’s an issue that the DoE, the local officials, the generating company and the cooperative must address.” She added, “It may be caused by the usual problem that hounds cooperatives – corruption and mismanagement.”
Acting on Marcos’s order to fix Siquijor’s energy woes, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) will open a public inquiry on 3 July.
Meanwhile, Governor Villa highlighted the challenges of being off-grid. “Kining atong isla, we are not connected to the grid. We are off-grid, so we are completely dependent on our generators. Kung duha or tulo ka generator dili mo-function, dili gyud siya mogana.” (This island of ours—we are not connected to the grid. We are off-grid, so we are completely dependent on our generators. If two or three generators fail to function, then it really won’t work.)
PARE urged national energy agencies and local officials to move beyond stopgap measures and draft a long-term energy plan for Siquijor, including updated demand forecasts and faster efforts to link the island to the main grid.
According to PARE Chief Advocate Officer Nic Satur Jr., Siquijor could follow the example of Boracay, which once faced similar energy issues but now enjoys stable power through a submarine cable link. “No island should be left behind,” he argued. “If the government is serious about inclusive growth, SPUG areas like Siquijor need reliable energy now.”
Sources:
https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/640812/siquijor-declares-state-of-calamity-due-to-power-crisis
https://qa.philstar.com/the-freeman/opinion/2025/04/22/2437410/black-magic-blackouts
https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/06/07/regions/siquijor-deals-with-power-crisis/2129069