This coming August 18 at 8:00 in the morning, the National Power Corporation (NPC) will shut down the transmission line going to Puerto Galera. This means total blackout in Puerto Galera for 100 to 300 days as NPC undertakes this major rehabilitation project.

Puerto Galera is a first-class tourist town of the Philippines with over 40,000 inhabitants. Its economy is primarily dependent on the tourist industry and shall seriously be impaired if the power crisis will not be averted.

Needless to say, prices will go up, basic commodities for the locals and room rates for the tourists, as every establishment will rely on running their generators. Health and hospital services might not be fully functional with the limited capacity of their standby generators.

It will be bleak and dark days ahead for the people of Puerto Galera who have nowhere to turn to but the national government as the solution that was supposed to prevent this crisis might not materialize.

Please, please, please President Duterte, help us in stopping this power blackout that will throw back our town in the Dark Ages. Puerto Galera cannot afford this, not now, not ever. Please help us as we strive for the realization of our development goals – Bagong Puerto Galera, Better Puerto Galera.