ROTATING BLACKOUTS IN THE PHILIPPINES

POWER PLANTS CRISIS !

Last week Ternate experienced three days of one hour brownout (local name for blackout). For several weeks there was rumors of shortage of power in the capital region due to ''El Niño'' phenomenon and officials were talking about rotating brownouts.
But it became critical last week in Mindanao the second largest island of the country. An American Guy, living in Davao City wrote: ''These days, living in Mindanao is a bit tougher than it was just a few months ago. Frankly the island is on the verge of being powerless ... in other words, without electricity''.
The main problem of Mindanao is that the island is more dependent on hydro generated power than the other islands of the country. Nevertheless nowadays the whole country is suffering from shortage power.
Electricity situation in key Mindanao Cities last week:
  • Davao City: Two hour rotating brownouts. Brownouts are not daily in every location, but are a few times per week in most places.
  • General Santos City: Three hours brownouts three times per day. In other words, basically every area in Gensen goes for 9 hours per day with no electricity now.
  • Cagayan de Oro: Five hours rotating brownouts daily, once per day in each location.
  • Mati, Davao Oriental: Brownouts up to 12 hours at a time, daily.
  • Koronadal, South Cotabato: Brownouts up to 10 hours at a time, daily.
  • Butuan City: Multiple 2 to 3 hours brownouts every day.
  • Zamboanga Peninsula: Daily brownouts of up to 18 hours at a time.
                                                                             (Source Bob Martin, Davao City)

The situation is not really good in the Visayas too, mostly of the factories are using their own generators having a deal with the local electric companies and keeping the power for small users.
In Luzon officials predict more and more brownouts in the next few weeks.
We need rain and we need rain now ! The problem is that at this time of the year we do not get much precipitation. During normal years, monsoon does not arrive before end of May beginning of June. And that is for normal years without the El Niño. So it is doubtful that we will be seeing much rain anytime soon, but miracle, the churches are involved and some are praying.
If there is no rain during the next weeks, the Government has only one option: To purchase or to hire some diesel burning barges to generate temporary electricity, this barges being connected to the local networks.
But even this solution will take time. Minimum two weeks for the purchase, two to three weeks to ship the barges, two to three weeks to install and connect to the local networks, plus ... Minimum two months.
So the situation will go much worse than it is now.

El Niño not the only culprit !
For several years now I heard of a possibility of power shortage.
The Philippines are in touch with brownouts for a long time. During the Marcos regime in the 80' Manila experienced 8 hours of power daily, individuals and companies using generators. 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

OUR LADY ... OF MANAOAG !

Image
INDULGENCES FOR MANAOAG VISITORS Our Lady of Manaoag   (formally:   Nuestra Señora del Santissimo Rosario de Manaoag,   literal translation:   Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of Manaoag ) is a title given to the   Blessed Virgin Mary , associated with a statue in  Manaoag,  Pangasinan   said to be from the 16th century. She is the patroness of the sick, the helpless and the needy. The church is one of the   Philippines ' most widely visited   Roman Catholic   Pilgrimage   sites. Many people from across the   Philippine archipelago come and visit the town of Manaoag, where the statue of the   Blessed Virgin Mary   is enshrined in a church dedicated to this name. The church is administered by the   Dominican Order   in the   Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan , located in   Manaoag ,   Pangasinan , about 200 kilometers north of Manila. The original image of the Our Lady of Manaoag was brought by the   Augustinian   friars who were in charge of the spiritual administration of the Ma
Read more

RESIDENCE DE L'AMBASSADEUR DE FRANCE ... AUX PHILIPPINES !

Image
Rare qu’un Ambassadeur de France ouvre les portes de sa résidence en dehors du 14 juillet.  Suffisamment rare tout du moins pour que j’en fasse un post. Petite aparté, tout ceci est payé, directement ou indirectement, par vos impôts. Profitez en bien, compte tenu de l’état des finances du pays, il se pourrait bien que d’ici quelques années le patrimoine du ministère des affaires étrangères soit mis en vente afin de combler une dette devenue abyssale. A quand le passage des résidences de nos ambassadeurs sous le contrôle des Qatari ou des Chinois ? Les paries sont ouverts. En ce qui concerne les Philippines, passer d’une superbe villa située à  Forbes Park, pour un trois pièces sur Quiapo, Tondo ou Binondo, ils risquent d’apprécier le changement nos diplomates ! Home to French ambassadors, the Embassade de France in Makati is a modern residence with elements of history and culture. The architecture bears some elements of the plantation style such as the p
Read more

LE ''BALISONG'' ... VOUS CONNAISSEZ ?

Image
Des couteaux papillons, fabriqués dans la province de Batangas, au sud de Manille. BUTTERFLY KNIVES The blade that defines the Batangueno if there is a landmark worth erecting in Batangas province in northern Philippines, it would be the sculpture of the balisong (fan knife) that  has defined the unique art, craft, and culture of Batanguenos for centuries. Though Barangay Balisong in Taal town, also known as the balisong capital of the Philippines, is now suffering from the dwindling supply of knife experts, Diosdado Ona, owner of the Ona Blades store, sees a chance of reviving the dying industry. "I think if the government would support the balisong industry, and promote it by putting up the fan knife landmarks in all the entrances to the province such as Laguna, Cavite, and Quezon, people will know and appreciate the industry," Ona said. In front of Ona's store along the highway of Barangay Balisong is a six-foot balisong. He said the fan knife industry is
Read more