Lamitan City, BASELCO ink power supply agreement

The City Government of Lamitan and the Basilan Electric Cooperative (BASELCO) signed a Power Supply Agreement (PSA) in a simple ceremony held Friday, May 29 at Lamitan City Gymnasium.

Power Supply Agreement states specific agreement between the City Government of Lamitan as “Supplier” and the BASELCO as “Costumer”.

Mayor Rosita U. Furigay and Vice-Mayor Oric Furigay led the signing of the agreement with Mr. Dusip Durapan, BASELCO General Manager and Board President Nick Acdalin. Basilan Governor Jim Hataman Salliman, National Power Corp. – Small Power Utility Group (NPC-SPUG), City Councilors and Barangay Chairpersons witnessed the event.

Through the said agreement, Lamitan City now will be able to use its own power plant to supply energy for the entire city and minimize problems caused by subsequent power interruptions.

Under the said agreement, the local government of Lamitan as supplier intends to engage in the generation and supply of electric power due to limited and unreliable supply of electricity, incessant power interruption, high cost of doing businesses and unreliable 13.2 KV line of BASELCO from power source in the City of Isabela to the City of Lamitan.

BASELCO, which was referred to as costumer, needs and desires to contract capacity and energy from the supplier who is willing and agrees to provide capacity under the circumstances and in synchronized operation with the NPC and during scheduled and emergency power interruptions.

During the simple signing ceremony, Mayor Furigay emphasized that everything for development is not impossible if you have the earnest desire to do everything to pursue your goal.

“This way has been risky and drastic move, but we have shown to you all that anything is possible when you have the best interest of the public in your heart and mind,” she said.

This process is a great help to all Lamitenos especially in terms of economic development since the city as supplier will be providing electricity generation in the missionary area and is entitled to receive subsidy from the Universal Charge-Missionary Electrification.

Since Lamitan City is one among areas in the province who experiences intermittent blackouts, the local government strived in finding solution to this problem in order not to hamper works, transactions and businesses since most now require electricity. Having its own power plant to supply electricity means that Lamitan City now will not just rely on BASELCO.

“For the longest time, we have been hoping and praying for the success of this endeavor and here we are on the verge of realizing our ultimate goal of finally having the ERC approval of our PSA and ultimately the authority to operate,” Vice Mayor Oric Furigay said when he delivered his message.

Lamitan City LGU and BASELCO have been working on two types of Power Supply Agreement, the Emergency PSA (ePSA) which was signed on Friday, May 29 and the 15-year term PSA which will be undertaken after this one-year ePSA. (RVC/NDR/PIA9-Basilan)

Source: https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1043344?fbclid=IwAR0nS26tLWiJLFBfaXi5Wa36rgMnetWPC8QiQOdWSIJVCIJUaz0_pmLlq28