Benhur eyes probe intoCebu's power situation

CEBU, Philippines - Alarmed by the series of rotating brownouts occurring in Cebu, fourth district Representative Benhur Salimbangon is pushing for a House investigation next week into the power situation in the province.

Salimbangon said power interruptions are driving away investors and will close the door to future investments in the country.

“It’s not good for business. This problem has to be addressed. In other countries, there is no such thing as brownouts,” Salimbangon said.

Sammy Chioson, president of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the business sector is losing so much during power interruptions.

Chioson admitted that some businesses in Cebu do not have their own generator set.

Robert Go, chairman of the Philippine Retailers Association-Visayas, likewise said that small and medium enterprises lost millions of pesos in revenues to brownouts.

Starting at 10:32 a.m. yesterday, the Visayan Electric Company resorted to rotating brownouts which affected some areas in the cities of Cebu and Mandaue. Power was restored after one hour.

Some barangays in Talisay City also experienced power interruption in the afternoon.

According to the National Grid Power Corporation, estimated power deficiency yesterday was 130 megawatts due to the non-availability of Cebu Thermal Power Plant 1 in Naga and the Cebu Diesel Power I. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/LPM  (THE FREEMAN)