NOTICE to All CEPALCO Customers - Subject: New DAILY Brownout Schedules for March 5 to 10, 2010

3  March 2010

NOTICE to All CEPALCO Customers

Subject: New DAILY Brownout  Schedules for March 5 to 10, 2010

Please find below the load shedding schedule [5 hours DAILY rotating brownouts] within the CEPALCO service area for the period March 5 to March 10, 2010 [Friday to Wednesday] due to the continuing power supply curtailments imposed by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines [NGCP] all over Mindanao. Again, CEPALCO would like to caution customers that the actual switch off and switch on time may slightly vary from the announced schedule depending on the actual load curtailment level imposed by NGCP on CEPALCO on a day to day basis.

Time of Brownout	Dates:  March 5 & 8	Dates:  March 6 & 9	Dates:  March 7 & 10
8:00am to  1:00pm	Group  A	Group  B	Group  C
1:00pm to   6:00pm	Group  B	Group  C	Group  A
6:00pm to 11:00pm	Group  C	Group  A	Group  B

GROUP  A   Areas  [Charlie 1 & Charlie 4] :

CHARLIE 1 :

1. Greater portion of the City Poblacion along and bounded by Hayes St., Mortola St., JR Borja St. including S.Daumar St., Aguinaldo St., 
2. Along Pabayo St.; including portions of C. Pacana St., JR Borja St., Gomez St., C.Taal St., T.Neri St., Abejuela St., Hayes St. and Gaerlan St. from Pabayo St.. 
3. Hayes St. from corner A.Velez St. towards City Hall area & Burgos St., along T.Chavez St. from Burgos St. up to Tiano Bros. St. - including portions of Tiano Bros. St., Rizal St., Capistrano St. from Hayes St.; and; Dolores St..
4. Along Burgos St. from T.Chavez St. up to corner Gomez St. including portions of Abejuela St., T.Neri St., Cruz Taal St. and Gomez St. from Burgos St..
5. Surroundings along Mabini St. from corner A.Velez St. towards Capistrano St. up to corner Gomez St. including portions of Tiano Bros. St. from Mabini St.; Yacapin St. from Capistrano St. towards Burgos St.; and; C.Pacana St., JR Borja St. and Gomez St. from Capistrano St.
6. Along Pabayo and T. Saco Streets from Dolores up to T. Saco /16^th Street Nazareth; greater portion of Nazareth; greater portion of Ramonal Village. 
7. Greater portion of Macasandig, all of Tibasak, all the way to Taguanao.

CHARLIE 4 :

1. Portions of Camaman-an near and including the San Jose and St. Vianney Seminaries, greater portion of Camaman-an proper towards Bontong, Bolonsori up to Upper Camaman-an and Hayes Subdivision including Tipolohon.
2. Part of Limketkai Center, Lapasan including Mc Donalds, PNB and Allied Bank.
3. Along Recto Ave. from corner Agora Road towards the new bridge including COCACOLA Plant & Osmeña Ext..
4. Portion of A.Luna St. towards all of Mabulay Subdivision including portion of the Provincial Capitol and Provincial Hospital Area.
5. Medical Center area along and bounded by Capistrano St., Echem St., A.Velez St., and Recto Ave., including all of Consolacion.
6. Corrales Ext. from Recto Avenue towards most of PPA area.
7. J.Pacana St. from Recto Avenue towards all of Macabalan area.
8. All of RER Subdivision Phases I & 2 including Dolores compound; towards Fortune Express Shop along Maharlika Highway; including all of NHA-KSS Subdivision and portion of Bayabas near Manila Broadcasting Radio Station.
9. Greater part of Bulua from Bulua Rotonda towards all of Iponan.
10. Greater part of Patag including Calamansi Drive, Apovel subdivision, Terry Hills subdivision and Anhawon, Bulua area.

GROUP  B  Areas  [Carmen 3, Tango 1 & Pueblo 2] :

CARMEN 3 :

1. Portions of Carmen: along vicinities of Villarin St. towards portion of Canitoan-Pagatpat Road; including Cathedral School of Technology, Golden Village, City Hospital-DOH Area, COWD reservoir and Seriña St. from Villarin St. down to Madonna and Child Hospital.
2. M.Suniel St. from Villarin St. down towards portion of Mabolo St.; including Matilde Neri St., Dabatian St. and Cagayan de Oro College area; and; portion of Lirio St. area.
3. Portions of Upper Carmen, including SM CITY; PRYCE HOTEL; SPUM & SEARSOLIN.

TANGO 1:

1. Portions of Natumulan down to Casinglot, Tagoloan.
2. All the Barangays of Bugo, Puerto, Tin-ao, Agusan, Tablon, Baloy, Cugman, Gusa, and greater portion of Lapasan.
3. Portions of Lapasan-Camaman-an road from Recto Ave. towards Limketkai Commercial Center including Grand Caprice Restaurant.
4. All of Osmeña St. and portion of Cogon Market Area including Roxas St. towards portion of JR Borja St.
5. Upper Gusa, Indahag, Malasag, FS Catanico and Balubal.
6. Agora Market area including Gaabucayan St.
7. DMPI plantation, MENZI Agri, etc.

PUEBLO 2 :

1. Portions of Upper Carmen, Upper Balulang and all of Brgy. Lumbia including; PNR Sawmill, Shop and transmitter; Pueblo de Oro, Camella Homes, Xavier Estates, Xavier Heights, Xavier High School, La Buena Vida, Frontiera and Montana subdivisions; CAA-BAT Lumbia Airport & Rio Verde.

GROUP  C  Areas  [Charlie 2, Carmen 1, Carmen 2, Tango 2] :

CHARLIE 2 :

1. Along Hayes St. from Camaman-an towards V.Roa St. up to corner J.Ramonal Ext., including Pinikitan, Adela, Balangiao area, Quirino St. and Yacapin Ext.; portions of Macasandig, XU Grade School areas.
2. Along J.Ramonal Ext. from Sto. Niño, Cogon towards V.Roa St., R.Chavez St. up to Corrales Ave. corner A.Luna St.; D. Velez St & Yacapin St.
3. Along Corrales Ave. towards FICCO, Nazareth, including Yacapin Street Towards Capistrano St.. 

CARMEN 1 :

1. Greater portion of Carmen along Lirio St., from Trinity St., towards Oak St., Max Suniel St., Vamenta Blvd, up to cor. Jasmin St. including Waterlily St. and the Carmen market area.
2. Along Mabolo St. from Lirio St. towards corner Rosal St. including portion of Marigold St. .
3. Portions of Carmen: vicinities along Vamenta Blvd. from Fernandez St. towards greater part of Ilaya including: portions of Ipil St. and Mahogany St. from Fernandez St.; Madonna & Child Hospital; and; Seriña St. from COA towards Gumamela Ext.St., Guani Coliseum (former O.Roa’s) and Maharlika Police Station.
4. All of Macanhan, Carmen towards all of Lower Balulang.

CARMEN 2 :

1. Portions of T.Chavez St. from Corrales Ave. up to Tiano Bros. St. including portions of A.Velez St from Hayes St..
2. Portions of Carmen along Yacal St. towards Lirio St., Vamenta Blvd., Waling-waling St. upto GSIS area including Ferrabrel St., Mango St. and portion of Rosal St. and Marigold St.
3. All of Kauswagan proper, Bonbon and Bayabas.
4. Isla de Oro.
5. Along Montalban St. from near Tiano Bros. St. towards Burgos St., del Pilar St. and Magsaysay St. including portions of Macahambus St. and Abellanosa St. from Burgos St..
6. Portions of A.Luna St. from corner Corrales Ave.; towards vicinities along A.Velez St. upto corner Mabini St. including portion of:  Makahambus St. from A.Velez St. and Tiano Bros. St. from Macahambus St..

TANGO 2:

1. Portions of Natumulan, greater Tagoloan proper, all the Barangays of Baluarte, Pulot, Sugbongcogon, and Gracia, Tagoloan
2. All the Barangays of Sta. Cruz, Mohon, Sta. Ana, and Sto. Rosario, Tagoloan including Kimaya, Villanueva.
3. All of Villanueva and Jasaan, Misamis Oriental.

We hope all CEPALCO customers & the public in general will be guided by this announcement. Thank you.

Released by:

Marilyn  A. Chavez

Senior Manager

Customer & Community Relations Dept.

Solution to Mindanao’s hydropower problem can be ‘an act of God’

Written by Manuel T. Cayon / Reporter

Wednesday, 03 March 2010 20:19

Conclusion Power summit recommendations DURING the island-wide power summit held at Grand Regal Hotel on Feb. 18 in Davao City, the participants recommended various actions that included: • Expeditious repair of Agus 2-Kibawe 138-kiloVolt (kV) Lines 1 and 2 by the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP); • Expeditious commissioning of the Maramag-Bunawan 230-kV backbone project by NGCP; • Expeditious commissioning of the Sangali-Pitogo 138-kV line in Zamboanga by NGCP; • Expeditious repairt and upgrading of the facilities of the National Power Corp. (Napocor) and Private Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (Psalm); • Dredging of Pulangui 4; • Possible livelihood or opportunities for the silt taken from Pulangui (e.g., brick making); and • Settle issues with the local government unit with regard to the re-operation of the Plant 1 of the 60- megaWatt (mW) Iligan Diesel Power Plant by Napocor/Psalm; Plant 2 (40 mW) for immediate rehabilitation to include, among others, spare parts and operator. The following commitments were also issued: • Stakeholders to fully cooperate in ensuring that there will be adequate and reliable supply of electric power in the Mindanao region; • Stakeholders to cooperate and assist in resolving power-emergency situation in Mindanao and work out schemes to achieve this purpose; • Stakeholders to agree on specific timelines and deliverables in implementing the commitments or projects considered during the meeting; • Psalm to study the privatization approach for Agus and Pulangui either full or operation and management arrangement; • Possible supply-augmentation scheme through the injection of power by embedded generators, with request for Department of Energy (DOE) intervention for cost recovery; • Invoke Section 71 of the Epira law to address the supply situation in Mindanao; • Conal Holdings to pursue the following projects: Maasin, Sarangani 2x100-mW clean coal power plant (unit 1 to be completed in the third quarter of 2013 and unit 2 by the first quarter of 2014); and Zamboanga 100-mW coal-fired power plant to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2014; • Mindanao coal-fired thermal power plant 210 to do the following: run in full load; defer preventive maintenance schedule of unit to June 10 from the original schedule of February 2010, in view of the current power- supply situation on the island; and to ensure adequate supply of coal; • Cagayan de Oro City Electric and Power Light Co. (Cepalco) to complete the following projects: 8-mW Cabulig Hydro (2011); Bubunawan Hydro in 2013; and Tagoloan Hydro in 2015; and • DOE to seek confirmation with Energy Development Corp. on the proposed 50-mW expansion of Mount Apo geothermal power plant. Impact on the country FOR the most part, the power problem has been limited to Mindanao with a declared deficiency of 358 mW as of last week, while the Visayas and Luzon are already on their relatively normalized mode. But Calabio said any major energy crisis could have serious consequence on manufacturing and other industries contributing to the economy. “The impact would be reduced production; worse, there would be no production at all.” Socoteco’s Ocat said consumers in the General Santos and Sarangani areas have differing opinion at how the power tripoffs should be implemented. “The households wanted the current staggered implementation of the brownouts in three phases at one hour each episode. The industries wanted a one time three-hour brownout.” Davao del Sur also suffer three-hour brownouts. It is only in Davao City which sustained a shorter 30-minute brownout due to the operation of the 57-mW Bajada Power Plant. The Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative (Daneco) has to impose a two-hour brownout spread at one-hour duration twice a week. The NGCP has curtailed its supply to Daneco by 20 mW, which the company said could be big enough for a franchise with a normal 58-mW supply. Davao Light’s supply was curtailed by 60 mW on Feb. 9 that went up to as much as 82 mW last week. The tourism sector has already pitched in for whatever it could contribute. Mary Ann Montemayor, chairperson of Southern Philippine Tourism Congress, said the different establishments may promise to switch off power on certain hours of their daily operations. Calabio said the power problem should heighten again the need to build more power generation that does not rely entirely on the hydroelectric power. “Whether we like it or not, even the Steag Coal [in Cagayan de Oro City] and Alson’s coal plant [in Sarangani] could be appreciated.” “We should now consider raising power rates now, because what is a blessing for Mindanao, is also becoming a curse,” he said. Asked how many investors were lining up to build new power-generation projects in Mindanao, Calabio said, “None are interested.” “None ever thought of it. How could they be lured here when it is profitable to operate in Luzon than here, when it is the same cost to build it anywhere?” he said. Based on the April 2009 comparison of rates, Davao Light was collecting P6.5871 centavos per kiloWatt- hour, while the Veco in Visayas was collecting P7.2276 and the Manila Electric Co. collecting P9.3203. Act of God “Pray not only for rain, but for the rain to fall in the right place,” Calabio said, “and that means in Lake Lanao and around the watershed area of Lanao del Sur.” “This is not a situation that the NGCP has brought about. It is an act of God,” he said. “We only transmit what Napocor would be able to generate and because we know the capacity of the grid, we have to curtail power where it should be curtailed to protect the entire grid.” He said the emergency situation could be solved by now by an event of rain “but it would come anytime in May or July.” “Between now and the rains to fall, we have to find the solutions,” Nocos said. Dureza has already made the Medco as the central office in monitoring the power situation and all the activities of the Mindanao Power Alliance.

House committee OKs special session on power crisis (PIA)

PIA Press Release
2010/03/02

House committee OKs special session on power crisis

Manila (2 March) -- THE House energy committee approved on Monday a proposal calling for a special joint session of Congress for the sole purpose of granting President Arroyo additional powers exclusively to address the Mindanao power crisis.

The panel, headed by Lakas-Kampi-CMD Rep. Mikey Arroyo of Pampanga, approved the proposal on the motion of opposition Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro and seconded by Nacionalista Party Rep. Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla of Cavite.

Mindanao congressman, led by House Deputy Speaker for Mindanao Simeon Datumanong also supported the proposal.

But Rep. Arroyo is cold to the proposals to grant the President additional powers in addressing the Mindanao power crisis saying that not only are there still enough remedies to resolve the issue, but the situation itself is not grave enough to necessitate such actions.

In pushing for the granting of emergency powers to Arroyo, Rodriguez involved Section 71 of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira), which states that "upon the determination by the President of the Philippines of an imminent shortage of the supply of electricity, Congress may authorize, through a joint resolution, the establishment of additional generating capacity under such terms and conditions as it may approve." (PIA)

Important Notice to CEPALCO Customers Subject: Scheduled NGCP Power Interruption on Sunday, March 7, 2010