Give us power: Filipinos experience ‘dark ages’ in US territory of Saipan

GARAPAN, Saipan - Air-conditioning units are not a luxury but a necessity on Saipan. It rarely rains on the tropical island where the air is often humid, and the temperature is almost always at 83 degrees Fahrenheit, similar to that in Manila during the hottest month of May. And so when electricity rates went up and power outages on the island worsened amid the ailing economy of the US territory of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), about 10,000 Filipino workers and their families staying on Saipan had to employ innovative ways to cope with the problem. For instance, Nona Salas of Zamboanga province and her family limit the use of air conditioner and other appliances to 10 kilowatt hours a day. Other families stay inside their cars at night to sleep and avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. Still, others without money are left without a choice but to sleep outside their houses where the temperature is cool, but where mosquitoes also abound. Power rates were supposed to drop amid the island-wide outages. But the spike in world prices of oil, and the delay in fuel supply in the CNMI, prompted the already cash-strapped government to rent expensive generators to supply energy to communities on Saipan. A big chunk of the salaries of Filipinos workers on Saipan goes to power bills. Celso Llanza of Albay province only paid $30 to $40 before, but this went up to $130 despite his limited use of electricity. “Hindi na makatao ito. Ang taas-taas ng singil sa kuryente, panay naman ang power outages (This is not humane anymore. The power bills are so high even when there are frequent power outages)," Llanza said. Filipino families are worried that the CNMI government will further raise power rates to pay for the rented generators, according to Jerry Custodio, president of the Human Dignity Movement. “Filipino workers here support the call for reliable and affordable power, water and sewer services. We are also consumers and we are too much affected," Custodio of Tacloban City said. Out of hand In August, CNMI Governor Benigno Fitial admitted that the power problem was getting out of hand. He declared a state of disaster emergency in the CNMI amid the imminent explosion of one of the major power plants being operated by the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation (CUC). Fitial warned that if the plant’s engine fails, the island "will experience massive blackouts even more extensive that the present load-shedding, which Saipan residents have been experiencing for the past months." And it’s not only that. The governor also enumerated the consequences of the foreseen failure:

• CUC will be without power to pump and purify water;
• CUC will be unable to pump or treat sewage;
• CUC will be without power to pump and purify water;
• CUC will be unable to pump or treat sewage;
• Street lights and traffic lights would go offline;
• The Commonwealth Health Center and medical clinic would be without CUC power, dependent on their limited diesel oil supplies and on-site generators;
• Communications media would go offline, including MCV cable TV and radio stations, which do not have their own fuel supplies and generation;
• Schools, homes, and work places will be subject to blackouts;
• The very young, the ill and the elderly who are dependent on refrigeration for food and medicine will be without power.

Luxury is cheaper Filipinos know the weight of Fitial’s warnings. With rotating outages that last four to eight hours a day, it’s virtually back to the dark ages. A Filipino on Saipan shared a joke about the power problem through a blog: “Q: What does CUC mean now? A: Customers Using Candles or Commonwealth Using Candles. Q: What does the CNMI have before candles? — A: Electricity!" The blogger further said: “A friend also shared that the promo at that hotel, which was $77 for an overnight stay for two with Sunday brunch, was cheaper than her monthly utility bills. Thus, she concurred that luxury is cheaper now than our basic necessities." Last week, the power problem reached the White House, a few days after the Saipan airport was shut down again due to outages. In a letter, Pete Tenorio, CNMI resident representative to Washington, urged President Bush to intervene in the power crisis. A report quoted Tenorio as saying that he was forced to make the request because the Fitial administration had refused to do so. Street protest On Wednesday night, Saipan residents took the streets after many of Fitial’s warnings became a reality. Tens of Filipinos joined the rally “against darkness" by at least 500 individuals demanding “affordable and reliable power for all." The rally was led by Representative Tina Sablan, an independent member of the CNMI House of Representatives, and private citizen Ed Propst. It was also supported by Rep. Ed Salas, who is married to Nona Salas of Zamboanga. The protesters called on the CNMI government to look at options other than renting power generators from off-island to address the power crisis. These include privatizing CUC, creating a cooperative, and making use of alternative energy sources like solar and wind. “We’re asking for help so we could help ourselves," said Tina Sablan. The protesters also signed a petition calling on the US government to step into the power crisis on Saipan. They were demanding the US government to do the following: declare a federal state of emergency on Saipan for the failing utilities service; place CUC under a federal court-appointed receivership; audit and investigation all federal and local funds collected and spent by CUC; and put CUC under receivership until such time when essential public services have already been restored. A presidential declaration of a federal state of emergency will immediately mobilize resources to avert a worsening crisis. Under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Act, all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the CNMI can request federal intervention during times of major disasters. “Enough is enough. No more lies. Let there be light," the crowd chanted as speakers took the podium and share their personal experiences with power outages. Band aid solution The protesters wore band aids on their foreheads and cheeks to dramatize what they called the “band aid" solution to the power crisis on Saipan. The CNMI government reportedly rented power generators from an off-island firm for $504,000 a month, excluding fuel cost. The rented power generators started operating last week, but some villages continue to have power outages and residents ask whether "improved" services would last. Others in the crowd said the CNMI is the only place under the US turf that does not have 24-hour water supply, and has frequent power outages even on fine weather. Ed Diaz, who is born and raised on Saipan, said that in the seven years he attended school in Hawaii, he experienced only one power outage that lasted for only half an hour. As the night grew darker last Wednesday, the protesters' demand grew louder. Holding yellow placards, the rallyists shouted: “We don’t want to live in darkness!" “Stop CUC! Privatization is the answer!" -Text and photos by Haidee V. Eugenio, GMANews.TV