As long as grid provides power VECO: No brownout during Pacquiao fight

CEBU, Philippines – The Visayan Electric Company has assured no brownout during the much anticipated fight between pound-to-pound king Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito on Sunday, November 14, even if its workers union will go on strike.

"Our assurance to our customers is that even if the union pushes through with their strike, we will continue to provide power to our customers," VECO spokesperson Ethel Natera told The FREEMAN.

Still, the assurance is not absolute, as power supply here depends on electricity provided by the Cebu-Negros-Panay grid. If the grid goes crazy, Natera said there will not have any choice, but resort to rotational brownout.

"Kung magkuwang ta og supply sa power on that day, wala nay mahimo ang VECO ana kay usually kung naay power shortage, we resort to rotational brownouts," Natera said.

The Cebu-Negros-Pany grid has been on "red alert" status for the past two years owing to generation deficiency after three power plants with a combined power of over a hundred megawatts have been shut down.

Casmero Mahilum, local president of the VECO Employees Union - Associated Labor Unions - Trade Congress of the Philippines, said they will launch the strike anytime starting November 10, the end of the seven-day cooling-off period following the filing of the notice of strike before the National Conciliation and Mediation Board last October 28, 2010.

He refused to disclose a specific date.

Today, the union will meet with the VECO management for the last time to discuss his reinstatement. He was terminated from service on the very same day they filed their notice of strike.

VECEU-ALU-TUCP filed the notice of strike for union-busting with various violations allegedly committed by the management, including harassment, suspension of 21 members without following the grievance procedure, and labor-only contracting.

VECO, the country's second biggest power distributor serves the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay and Naga and four municipalities of the greater part of Metro Cebu - Liloan, Consolacion, Minglanilla and San Fernando. Its franchise service covers an area of about 672 square kilometres with an estimated population of 1.73 million.

Natera said contingency plans are in place in the event of an actual strike. (FREEMAN)