Photo from Rappler

Due to power shortages, Davao City residents have been complaining about the rotational brownouts for the past months.

According Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC), the rotational brownouts are caused by shortage of power from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

“For now, we’re really dependent on the daily update that the NGCP is providing us with regards to implementing the rotating power outages.

“Rest assured that we are doing our best to implement the outages at the least possible time,” said DLPC when asked about the outages in their Facebook page.

The understated problem

The city has been experiencing 15-minute to three-hour brownouts for the past months.

The DLPC has been posting and updating their customers on the schedule of the power interruptions on their Facebook page and on their currently malfunctioning website davaolight.com, but customers have been complaining about the mismatched schedules.

Many citizens have also been baffled by the lengthy brownouts.

“What’s wrong with Davao Light? The 30-minute brownouts were okay, but a three-hour brownout? No, not at all. Besides, what were the schedules for? It does not coincide. It’s useless.

“Timing man ang brownout kay exam week. Dili mi ka-laboratory kay walay kuryente. Wala ko kastudy ug tarong tung exam week kay gabii ang brownout. Diba ang saya? Sa klase, dili madayon ang reporting or class presentation kay wala ju’y kuryente,” said Andrea Dupa, a college student from Davao City.

Photo from Mindanews

Netizens react to the issue

Aside from the personal complaints, residents have now been raging on the internet and posting one-star votes on the DLPC Facebook page.

Some netizens even suggest solar power as a solution to these brownouts.

“[DLPC] refuses to get solar power to compensate for the losses they have in power, charges way too much for their electricity for the inconveniences we face, [accepts] no responsibility for [the] losses [of] their customers and [their] business [incurred] from their neglect, and [is incompetent] while [they profit] billions yearly, costing their customers millions in a month,” said Leroy Fodor while rating the DLPC one star on their Facebook page.

However, according to Walter Labor Ho, a Davao City resident and a former Mechanical Engineer, the problem is not with the DLPC.

“Davao Light is doing their job. It is not their fault but the fault of unprecedented problems with the grid that supplies our electricity,” said Ho.

 The outages continue

As of the moment, the DLPC cannot give any assurance to its customers that the power will be stable soon. On Dec. 18, they posted a statement that only 176 Megawatts is allocated by the NGCP compared to the contracted supply of 289 Megawatts.

“We will post an announcement if ever its (power interruption) implementation will be lifted,” said DLPC.