By: Nino Aclan

FORMER  Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri has asked the national government to come up with a tourism masterplan and specific amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) to address the power woes in the country’s “crown jewels” of tourism.

Zubiri made the statement during his interpellation on Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel’s counter-SONA delivered recently at the Senate session hall where the former expressed concern on the power issues plaguing tourist destinations such as Siargao, the surfing capital of the Philippines.

“Kung may masterplan sa flood control, sana naman ay may masterplan din sa turismo (which will) focus on these tourist destinations that have been bringing income to our country,” Zubiri declared during his exchange with Pimentel.

Zubiri said a big part of this tourism masterplan should be to ensure the availability of power sources for the continuous service of electricity not only to residents but to establishments catering to the tourism industry.

In discussing the electricity challenges faced by residents in tourism destinations, Zubiri went to great lengths to recount his recent visit to Siargao over the weekend with his family, saying the island is reeling from frequent power outages.

“Grabe ang brownout doon. The resort where we were staying had to open its genset from 10 in the evening to 7 in the morning kasi nagfa-fluctuate yung kuryente sa Siargao. Ang binabayaran nilang kuryente is P16 per kwh, napakataas!” Zubiri exclaimed.

He said he was able to speak to a trader in the ice production business, similar to his own venture, whom he said was suffering tremendously due to the power outages on the island.

“Ang punto ko po, unless we solve this problem of electricity, we will have a big problem with investment opportunities. And sana po nakikinig ang Department of Tourism, the Department of Energy and other departments concerned: (Siargao) is a crown jewel of our tourism destinations,” Zubiri said.

“We are probably paying one of the most expensive rates in all of Asia, maybe next to Japan. When you go to other countries, talagang napakababa ng presyo,” he added.

With this, he said he would be pushing amendments to the EPIRA to address the problem of frequent power outages and the high costs of electricity in the Philippines.

Pimentel, as the minority leader, said he agrees with Zubiri and will work with the majority to amend the EPIRA.

Zubiri said when he was still the Senate President, he would always ask during the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meetings the specific amendments the national government wanted in the EPIRA to address high costs of electricity and the power outages across the country.

“And we now focus on the DOE, what amendments do you want, Mr. DOE? Until now, they have not submitted the amendments to the EPIRA,” he said.

“Sana we have already the specific amendments, and I am glad that the gentleman from Cagayan de Oro is willing to work with the majority in trying to pass amendments to the EPIRA. Pero ang tanong ko po, ano yung mga amendments na yun, specifically?” he asked.

“Through the leadership (of the government), let’s ask them what those amendments are, because for the last two years I’ve been asking them that. It’s part of the LEDAC priority measures but (we don’t know the specifics).”