The City Government of the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) is weighing the possible deployment of one of its standby generator sets to Talikud Island as residents continue to grapple with prolonged and disruptive rotational brownouts that have severely affected daily life and local livelihoods.
City Mayor Lemuel T. Reyes personally inspected the city government’s generator sets this week as part of intensified efforts to address the worsening power situation in the island community. The inspection underscored the local government’s push to explore immediate, practical interventions while long-term energy solutions remain in development.
According to the city government, the generators form part of its emergency power response assets acquired during the height of previous energy disruptions. Two 1000 KVA generator sets were purchased in 2023 at a cost of approximately ₱9 million each, followed by an additional unit acquired in 2025 to further strengthen the city’s capacity to respond to electricity shortages and emergency power needs.
These assets were previously deployed to help augment and stabilize electricity supply in Samal Island in coordination with the Northern Davao Electric Cooperative (NORDECO) during earlier phases of the energy crisis. Officials now say the same resources may again be mobilized, this time to support Talikud Island, which is currently experiencing sustained and recurring power interruptions.
Residents in Talikud Island have been enduring rotational brownouts that, in some areas, limit electricity availability to as little as three hours per day on a rotating schedule. The prolonged outages have created a cascading impact on essential services and daily living conditions.
Communication lines have been severely affected, with unstable cellular signals and intermittent internet connectivity disrupting access to information and emergency communication. Small businesses have also reported operational setbacks due to limited refrigeration, power-dependent equipment, and reduced customer activity during blackout periods.
Students have been among the most affected, with frequent power interruptions disrupting online learning, study schedules, and access to digital educational resources. Meanwhile, households have faced growing challenges in preserving food and medicines, particularly those requiring refrigeration or consistent storage conditions.
The power crisis has also extended into water supply concerns in several communities, where water distribution systems rely heavily on electricity to function. As a result, intermittent electricity has translated into inconsistent access to potable water in some areas, further compounding the difficulties faced by residents.
Mayor Reyes assured the public that the city government remains committed to addressing both immediate relief measures and sustainable long-term solutions to stabilize the island’s power situation. He emphasized that island communities remain a top priority of the administration, particularly in ensuring that basic services such as electricity, water, communication, and livelihood activities are not continually disrupted.
As the situation in Talikud Island persists, the potential deployment of a generator set signals a critical stopgap measure aimed at easing the burden on residents while broader energy stability measures are pursued.