Submarine cable triggering Panay, Negros brownouts

Sometimes one just can’t take back premature good news. I wrote about the Energy Regulatory Commission’s (ERC) move which solved the prospective shutdown of the Panay Electric Company (PECO) and averted a crisis in Iloilo.

However, the submarine cable interconnecting Negros and Cebu is now reportedly being blamed for brownouts during peak hours in Negros and Panay and Cebu as well.

National Transmission Corp. (Transco) Negros department manager Zosimo Briones said that since Saturday, Transco has been rushing repairs of the submarine cable to put an end to the brownouts plaguing Negros and Panay.

What happened? Because of heavy power consumption during peak hours, there is a deficit of about 63 megawatts from 5:30 to 9 p.m. The cut in the submarine cable reportedly aborts access to additional power from the Leyte geothermal plant.

The heavy demand for power during peak hours, according to Briones, forces electric cooperatives to decide where to trip off power through manual load shedding.

Some cooperatives, however, rotate brownouts around certain areas to cut down power outages per area. That was how Briones explained the abrupt brownouts that have been affecting some residential subdivisions in Bacolod City.

Negros mostly depends on the Palimpinon Geothermal Power Plant of the National Power Corp. This produces 175 megawatts but is still short by 20 megawatts for the power needs of Negros Island, composed of the provinces of Oriental Negros and Negros Occidental.

Briones told the Negros media that there is a need for public cooperation to reduce the power outages by cutting down consumption during peak hours when the submarine cable is undergoing repair.

This is doubly challenging as the Christmas season usually brings heavier power consumption with decorative lights blazing all over. In Bacolod, it’s not only shopping malls, but even individual homes blazing with lights. One feels like each home is trying to compete with the others as to who could afford more expensive Christmas lights.

Well, that is easier said than done. And most likely there will be intermittent brownouts plaguing Negros and Panay until after the Christmas season.

Briones pointed out that the 40 megawatts expected to be produced by the PNOC geothermal power plant in Bago City will add to the current capacity of Palimpinon. This is expected to increase the supply by 20 megawatts by next year.

In short, based on Briones’ projections, Negros will be adequately supplied with power by 2007. But Panay will still need additional sources of energy.

In short, brace yourselves for more outages until that submarine cable is repaired. Just cross your fingers that we won’t end up with major power interruptions on Christmas Day.

Well, c’est la vie in a modern world.

Firecrackers seized

The Bacolod police seized on Monday a total of 200 boxes of imported firecrackers and pyrotechnics from the Pediatry Trading along Locsin street. The raiders were armed with a search warrant issued by Municipal Trial Court Judge Alfredo Hilario.

Pediatry is owned by Benito and Shirly Conde, according to Senior Inspector Joerestry Geronica of the BPD intelligence and investigation branch.

Bacolod police director Pedro Merced said the owners will be charged for violation of Republic Act 7813, which regulates the sale, manufacture, distribution and use of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices.

In another sweep, the police also seized 18 boxes of imported firecrackers and pyrotechnics at the Bacolod reclamation area in Barangay 12, and several other areas in the city.

Kiosk owners, according to Merced, failed to present to the police the necessary documents.

Most of the firecrackers and pyrotechnics were imported from China and Korea, according to the police chief.

They are now under custody of the Bacolod police and will be destroyed later.

The Super Ferry tightened security on board the 10 SF vessels serving over 20 ports in the country after PNP spokesman Leopoldo Bataoil said the police all over the country have been placed on heightened alert status to foil any terrorist attack during the holiday season.

What is funny is that Jess Supan, SF vice president for safety and security compliance, said the firm strictly prohibits on board the vessels cargoes such as explosives, gunpowder, dynamite and fireworks. These include gases such as butane, liquid nitrogen, and corrosive materials like mercury, wet cells, car batteries and acids and other flammable liquids such as lighter fluid, and liquid petroleum gas tanks.

In short, the strict measures may have been adopted too late. Despite the deployment of K-9 dogs and sea marshals at the Bacolod Bredco port, the fact that the police managed to seize such big stocks of firecrackers and pyrotechnics simply means that all these cargoes must have been transported to the province through sea vessels.

In short, what gives for the delayed enforcement of the strict security measures? It seems that the authorities swooping down on stores and establishments selling these restricted firecrackers and pyrotechnics may have been implementing these measures too late. By now, just a few days before Christmas, it’s too late to try to stamp out the sale of these Christmas explosives.

World sugar prices

The onset of heavy rains in Brazil’s sugarlands reportedly triggered a revision by Brazilian sugar authorities of their estimates of production. Now, the dispatch received by Confederation of Sugar Producers Association (CONFED) chairman Luis Tongoy of the Negros-Panay chapter showed that Brazil’s projected production is down by five million metric tons.

That may have caused world sugar market prices to rise to 14.20 cents per pound.

It is not exactly known whether the failure of the developed and least developed societies to agree to the agricultural discussions at the World Trade Organization’s Ministerial Meeting in Hong Kong may have also affected the world sugar prices.

The prognosis: World sugar prices may reach as high as 16 cents per pound by the middle of next year with the International Sugar Organization, during their recent meeting in London, reporting a shortfall of one million tons.

Looting in Iloilo

Christmas is not the time for bad news. But my attention was riveted to the report that looters have been having a heyday rifling the monthballed multimillion-peso Iloilo City Employees Housing Project in Barangay Ungka, Pavia, Iloilo.

Even the galvanized iron roofs, doors and other housing materials are rifled by the looters at night, according to local residents nearby.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas, who just arrived recently from an official trip to Europe, was reportedly taken aback by the report. He pointed out that policemen were detailed to the area along with security guards "to watch over the place."

Treñas asked Iloilo City police director Senior Superintendent Norito Bautista to validate the report which was broadcast by Bombo Radyo.

Construction of the P130-million housing project was stalled for more than three years. Treñas stopped payments to its contractor, Ace Builders, following the discovery by the city engineer’s office that the contractor allegedly used substandard materials in several housing units.

Former councilor Vicente Gengos has urged Treñas to rescind the contract with the contractor, but the mayor said he would order the contract to be renegotiated with Ace Builders.

Treñas said he is waiting for the Commission on Audit’s opinion on the proposed compromise with Ace Builders.

Actually, the project was started during the remaining months in office of former Mayor Mansueto Malabor.

One can only watch the looters increase in number during the Christmas season. At least, for money-raising projects.

Sayang!