MANILA: About one million people in the Philippines endured an extraordinary blackout on Wednesday after a power provider cut electricity to an entire province over unpaid debts dating back 15 years.
Hospitals and an airport in Albay province were forced to run on emergency generators after power was severed without notice on Tuesday afternoon, while shops closed and residents struggled amid steamy, tropical weather.
"We could not sleep last night, it was very hot. I opened the windows and screen door to get some wind inside, but that allowed the big mosquitoes in," Jun Marana, a coach driver in the provincial capital of Legazpi, told AFP by telephone.
Marana said all the food in his refrigarator had spoiled, while it was difficult to buy more for his four children because many shops had closed.
The country's electricity spot market operator cut off the power to Albay's electricity retailer because of about four billion pesos or $93 million in bills that had accumulated over 15 years, an energy ministry spokeswoman said.
Albay, one of the country's poorer provinces in the far east of the main island of Luzon, has 1.1 million residents.
Electricity supplies resumed at 5:00 pm or 0900 GMT on Wednesday after negotiations between the national provider and the provincial supplier that owes the money, Albay Electric Co-Operative.
The national provider, Philippine Electricity Market Corp, said Albay Electric had seven more days to start repaying the debt or power would be cut again. (AFP)
