The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has revoked the authority of Villar Group’s Siquijor Island Power Corporation (Sipcor) to operate, following persistent violations and a power crisis that has left residents enduring long blackouts.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin announced the decision on Friday, stressing that the move was made to protect the welfare of the island’s communities. “Sa madaling salita, malinaw po na hindi kaya ng Sipcor ibigay ang serbisyo na ipinangako nila,” she said, underscoring the company’s failure to deliver reliable electricity.
Sipcor, which began supplying power to Siquijor in 2015 under a 20-year agreement with the province’s electric cooperative, has long struggled to keep up with demand. Its bunker-fired diesel plants have an installed capacity of around 11.58 megawatts, but only 8.816 MW was committed under contract—well below the island’s current demand of more than 10 MW. This shortfall has resulted in frequent outages, disrupting households, tourism, and even healthcare facilities.
Government interventions mounted earlier this year after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. personally inspected Sipcor’s plant and ordered an audit of its operations. An independent assessment by the University of the Philippines College of Engineering later flagged expired permits, lack of fuel reserves, and idle generating units as major risks.
To stabilize the situation, Garin said TotalPower has been tapped to supply 15.3 MW of electricity to the island. The Department of Energy is also exploring longer-term solutions to ensure Siquijor’s residents and businesses finally receive the reliable power supply they have long been promised.
