Brownout in Metro Manila Looms

Saying the Luzon power is experiencing “deficiency” in supply, the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) on Friday warned its customers in Metro Manila and nearby provinces of possible rotating brownouts in the coming days.

Dina Lomotan, Meralco’s corporate communications manager, said the company has received an advisory from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) that it has raised the “yellow alert” for the grid.

The NGCP spokesperson, Cynthia Alabanza, said the Luzon grid went on yellow alert on Thursday. “This means that while power plants in the Luzon grid can still meet the demand of consumers, our (power) reserve is quite thin,” Alabanza explained.

She said the reserve had hit 300 megawatts, half of the ideal 647 megawatts.

The Power Situation Outlook posted on the NGCP’s website on Friday left blank the system capacity, system peak and reserve levels for the Luzon grid.

Figures on the website are usually updated daily.

Lomotan said it would be best for Meralco customers to start conserving electricity at home or at commercial establishments.

“We should still save electricity since we’re on yellow alert. We have a low reserve. Hopefully no power plant will go offline, or else the reserve will get wiped out,” she said.

Meralco had apparently scheduled brownouts in Cavite (Kawit, Imus) and Metro Manila (Caloocan, Las Piñas, Pasig, Tondo, Balintawak, Kamuning, Katipunan) from 10 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 2 p.m. on today.

The morning brownouts did not push through, because the demand was low.

“There was a reduction in system demand probably because we made an advisory on air,” she said.

Power demand is usually low during Saturdays, Lomotan said.

The Department of Energy (DoE) said the yellow alert for the Luzon grid came as a result of the shutdown of three plants, the Calaca coal-fired power plant and the Sta. Rita and San Lorenzo natural gas-fired power plants.

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Senators Slam $1-B Lending to the IMF

Senators criticized on Friday the government’s decision to lend $1 billion from its reserves to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), ostensibly to help other countries in need of funding, while the Philippines is not even financially well-off.

Malacañang had already defended the move, saying it was time for the Philippines to help other countries after having been a recipient of IMF assistance for the past 40 years.

“I’m not in favor (of lending to the IMF). We are a poor country pretending to be rich,” said Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III.

“Wala ngang makain ang mga mahihirap sa atin, magpapautang pa tayo (Why lend when our poor hardly eat)?” Sotto said.

Quite surprised over this development, Senate President Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada said “charity should begin at home.”

“Ang daming kulang sa mga silid aralan sa ating bansa. Ang daming kulang na tulay; ang daming nagugutom; madaming mga pulis at military na walang sariling bahay, tapos magpapautang tayo sa IMF para ipang-tulong sa mga mahihirap na bansa (Our classrooms are wanting. We have a big shortage in bridges; many are going hungry; so many of our police and soldiers don’t have housing, yet we will lend money to the IMF to help poor nations)?” Estrada asked.

He said corruption in the police and military establishments may be reduced if government solves their housing problems.

“Dapat unahin ng ating gobyerno ang pagresolba sa napakaraming problema ng bansa bago magpautang para makatulong sa ibang mga mahihirap na bansa (Government should resolve the many problems in the country before it attempts to lend money to the IMF for relending to poorer countries.),” said Estrada.

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