BY RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS
ILOILO City – A system disturbance on the grid on April 27 caused a region-wide unscheduled power interruption.
The adverse impact of this to the local economy is what’s really worrisome, according to Mayor Jerry Treñas of Iloilo City, the region’s economic center.
Ilonggos, particularly business owners and vendors, expressed their sentiments to Panay News.
Gerardo Pielago, owner of a frozen food stall at the Iloilo Central Market, said the power interruption ruined their goods.
“Ang amon frozen [goods] nagkalaperdi, tapos ang amon freezer nagkalatunaw gid ang mga ice. So syempre amon mga product naglulutaw sa tubig, grabe gid ang penetensya namon,” said Pielago.
He added: “Daku gid ni nga pamerde. Ang iban gani wala na namon nabaligya kay nagkalaguba tungod nga nawad-an sang ice. May isa gid ako gani nga freezer nga naguba.”
Rosalyn Tundag, a vegetable vendor from Alimodian, Iloilo, also had a hard time selling perishable goods.
Also a mother, Tundag struggled to send her son to sleep because of the uncomfortable levels of temperature.
“Naggwa kami sa balay kay magin-ot gid, tapos ang amon mga products kinahanglan sang chiller kay perishable. So kabudlay gid wala kuryente. Ang bata naman ya ginapaypayan lang namon para matulugan kay init nga daan subong ang temperatura,” said Tundag.
The massive power outage was challenging for a laundry shop in Barangay Tabuc Suba, Jaro district.
“Damo kami tani customers nga mapalaba galing kay ginpabalik ko. Indi man kami ka laundry kay wala kuryente,” said Violeta Dublas, a laundry shop attendant.
She added: “Indi ta man na sila mabasol kag na-intindihan man namon kay indi man lang na kami, halos tanan man ah.”
A farmer from Santa Barbara, Iloilo, Larry Alcayno, said he did his best to make his grandson comfortable during bedtime.
“Naayawan gid ako pangita paagi para makatulog mga apo ko. Bilang lolo paypayan mo gid asta nga matulugan. Sa adlawon ya makapasilong ka man sa dalom puno kahoy, amo na bentaha kung sa uma ka,” said Alcayno.
He added: “Nagalagaw ko ya sa garden ko para malingaw kag sang daw init na gid, ti, pasilong sa dalom kahoy kag maglantaw sa mga pinananom ko.”
These Ilonggos said concerned agencies should provide solutions so there won’t be blackouts anymore./PN
