ILOILO City – The city government is putting a price tag on the economic damage caused by persistent rotational brownouts as Mayor Raisa Treñas moves to bring Iloilo’s case directly to Malacañang and the Department of Energy (DOE), warning that soaring fuel prices are compounding the strain on households, businesses and livelihoods.
Treñas said the city is preparing an economic impact study that will quantify the actual effects of recurring power interruptions on Iloilo City’s economy and residents and serve as the basis for seeking national government assistance.
“We want to show the actual impact on our economy and our people and ask for possible interventions and programs from the national government for the affected sectors,” said Treñas.
The initiative comes as Western Visayas confronts persistent power supply problems while consumers and businesses are simultaneously being squeezed by higher fuel costs.
Treñas warned that treating the two problems separately risks overlooking their combined economic impact.
“We need to focus not just on the rotational brownouts. The rising price of fuel is also a major concern and this needs to be addressed by the national government,” she said.
Treñas raised the issue during the Regional Development Council (RDC) meeting on September 14 attended by Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, MORE Electric and Power Corporation (Iloilo City’s power distributor), electric cooperatives and business groups.
“If the brownouts continue and fuel costs also keep rising, the burden on our people and businesses doubles,” Treñas said.
Among the sectors most vulnerable to the twin pressures are public transportation, fisherfolk and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which face higher operating expenses while dealing with disruptions caused by unstable electricity supply.
The city government has begun extending assistance, including fuel coupons for the transport sector, but Treñas stressed that local resources cannot sustain the necessary interventions on their own.
“We are doing interventions here in Iloilo City. But the resources of the local government are limited,” she said.
Treñas also brought to Garin the concerns of transport groups over existing fuel discount programs, particularly reports from drivers who have difficulty complying with requirements and navigating the process to receive assistance.
“When fuel prices increase, the cost of transportation, delivery of goods, business operations and even the livelihood of our families also increases,” Treñas said.
“The impact of fuel price increases is not only seen at the gas station. It is felt in fares, the prices of goods, business operating costs and the income of our people,” she added.
The city’s appeal for national intervention comes as the RDC endorsed a proposed resolution urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to declare a state of emergency in Western Visayas because of the region’s power supply problems.
The endorsement was made during the council’s meeting with Garin on Monday afternoon.
The RDC also called on Malacañang to undertake immediate measures to prevent the region’s power supply difficulties from developing into a full-blown energy crisis.
For Treñas, however, finding additional and more reliable power supply is only part of the response. Government must also provide immediate relief to workers, families and businesses already shouldering the economic cost of the crisis.
“While we look for a long-term solution to the power supply, we also need to help people who are already experiencing its immediate effects,” she said./PN