BY JEN BAYLON
ILOILO City – The blackout starting at 2 p.m. on Jan. 2 led many resident s here to seek cooler environments in hotels, malls and other public places.
Philip Sajise, a resident of Molo district, highlighted the particular challenges faced by families with young children and elderly members.
One, he said, was difficulty in sleeping due to the oppressive heat, mentioning how in his area, power was restored around 1 a.m. on Jan. 3.
Sajise observed a significant increase in the number of people at shopping malls in the afternoon of Jan. 2, attributing it to the blackout-induced heat.
The power outage, affecting the entire island of Panay, forced residents to find alternative ways to escape the intense heat, he said.
Another resident, identified only as Mark – a 23-year-old resident of the City Proper – shared his family’s decision to check into a hotel on the night of Jan. 2 to escape the oppressive heat and charge their electronic devices such as mobile phones and computer tablets, which were crucial for work.
Meanwhile, a lodge attendant in La Paz district reported a complete booking from Jan. 2 to 3, with a notable 80% to 90% increase in income, reflecting the surge in guests seeking relief from the blackout.
In more extreme cases, some residents resorted to spending the night in places like the corridors of Tanza Public Cemetery, laying out mats or cardboard, as reported by RMN DYRI Iloilo.
This underscored the lengths to which people went to find respite from the uncomfortable conditions in their homes during the prolonged power outage./PN
