Zubiri, Pimentel calls out energy shortage in Philippine tourism hotspots

Former Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri asked the national government to come up with a tourism master plan 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.

Pimentel aired concern on the power issues plaguing tourist destinations such as Siargao, the surfing capital of the Philippines.

“If there is a master plan in flood control, I hope there is also a master plan for tourism which will focus on these tourist destinations that have been bringing income to our country,” said Zubiri.

“The power outage there is so bad. The resort where we were staying had to open its genset from 10 in the evening to 7 in the morning because power fluctuated in Siargao,” he remarked.

Zubiri added that 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.

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