LAOAG CITY —- When tourists go on beach vacation, they expect all amenities are in place. But for some reasons, a premiere tourist destination in this northern gateway of Luzon is complaining about the alleged inefficient service of the lone electric distribution utility here, leaving them with no choice but to use generators to satisfy their guests.
Apparently dismayed over Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative’s unstable supply leading to the Maira-ira cove in Balaoi village, Pagudpud town, retired Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Col. Ricardo Nolasco Jr., owner of Hannah’s Beach Resort and Convention Center, said he and Pagudpud town mayor Marlon Sales had repeatedly written a letter to the management of INEC about this concern but unfortunately, it has not been acted upon yet.
“Nakakalungkot kasi nandito ang ating windmills pero gaya ngayon, I have a big event and special visitors for the Luzon caravan pero pagpasok nila sa kuarto, namatay ang kuryente,” Nolasco said.
On early Saturday evening, the line tripped off again, prompting the resort to use its back-up generator set to ensure the smooth staging at Hannah’s of the Miss Earth Philippines 2017, participated in by 23 candidates.
On the same day, at least 87 congressmen were also billeted at the resort while on inspection tour to Northern and Central Luzon’s on-going road construction and expansion program.
“I hope INEC will do something about it. We’re not doing this for profit only. We are doing this for Ilocos Norte and the economy. We are doing this for our countrymen to make them social amelioration and creating employment for the locals. Kapag kami ay pinapahirapan, parang pinapahirapan na rin kaming lahat,” Nolasco said.
When sought for comment, Noel Andres, Information Education and Communication Officer of INEC, said they are trying their best to make the province’s power distribution system fully operational. It just so happened that the lateral area of Pagudpud remains affected.
Nonetheless, Andres assured the people of Pagudpud that INEC is doubling maintenance efforts to resolve the problem.
Hit hard by typhoon Lawin in October 2016, some of INEC facilities are still being repaired, including toppled electric posts and damaged electric highway.
Apart from unstable electric supply, several tourism establishments here are also struggling with too slow communication and internet service like in inmost parts of the province. LGA/PNA-northboundasia.com