The submarine cable project that is expected to address power interruptions in the Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos) in Davao del Norte province will be operational next month.

“The ultimate solution is the submarine cable which will soon be connected to the grid,” Elvera Alngog, Northern Davao Electric Cooperative Inc. (Nordeco) officer-in-charge, said Monday.

Nordeco called the media briefing to clarify issues following a protest last week by officials of the local government and some of the member-consumer-owners in Igacos.

“That’s why we are asking the member-consumer-owners to bear with us this time. After this month, if we can connect to the grid, we will have stable power in Samal,” Alngog said.

She said the intermittent power outages on the island were due to the damaged old submarine cable on the island.

Nordeco, she said, will spend around PHP10 million for repair.

“If that will be connected again on the grid, it is not guaranteed that it will work efficiently since it is old. That’s why we opt to provide three generator sets to address the power woes on the island,” Alngog explained.

With a total cost of PHP1.1 billion, the 14.7-kilometer submarine cable project will connect Barangay Aundanao in Igacos, to the Pantukan grid. (PNA)