As power is restored, Rota residents are shocked after seeing their most recent utility bill

Many Rota residents are shocked after seeing their most recent utility bill total well over a thousand dollars after years of a monthly average as high as $500. This newest bill is released just as the island's power is being restored grid after grid, only a month and a half after Super Typhoon Bavi directly devastated Rota early last month.

"Do we keep the power on and risk piling up on the already unaffordable CUC bill, or pay what we can and risk being disconnected? Our economy is struggling, austerity is at an all time high, yet CUC bills continue to rise. We shouldn't have to choose between having electricity and being able to afford to live," said Laura Ogo, a resident of Sinapalo I and one of the first ones on the grid to get power restored. Ogo adds that although her family is ..."fortunate to have power restored just a few days ago..." Her nearly $2,000 power bill has her asking questions.

Tricia Manglona, a resident of Sinapalo Ill shares her frustration with MP, "As a resident of Rota, I can say there is a lot of fear and frustration surrounding the new power rates. People are joking that after being without power for so long, once the power is finally restored today, they may have to disconnect it tomorrow because they simply cannot afford the bill. Sadly, that joke reflects a very real concern for many families."

Many residents attribute the imbalance between cost of living and income gap, further intensified by the impacts of twin super typhoons, to the struggle of being able to survive.

Manglona calls for a clear explanation, “I also believe residents deserve a clear explanation of how these rates were determined, why the increase is so high, and what protections or assistance are available for families who simply cannot absorb another major expense. Many of us are also asking the same question: Is an increase of this magnitude fair, justified, and legally allowed?” “Our community has already been through so much. Restoring electricity should bring relief, not another financial crisis."

Meanwhile, a resident of SongSong Village, Diana Hocog, resonates the same sentiments of shock upon receiving her latest bill, forcing her household to be more conscious of their power consumption. "So we as a family took measures to cut back on power use, like waiting to turn the AC on, hanging instead of using our dryer and even taking public transportation to help with cutting back costs."

Hocog then adds, "One thing people need to understand and realize is that, you need to look at the kilowatt usage. So this is what blows my mind. Before this increase in FAC, our kilowatt usage was 1366 and my power bill was $460. So then I read about the increase and started taking measures to lower our usage and guess what, my next usage was only 868 kilowatts! But my power bill was $440!!!"