Brownout For 129,000 Meralco Customers

The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) yesterday said that a total of 129,000 customers or 2.54 percent of its total customers remain without power after torrential rains pounded Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon over the week. Joe Zaldarriaga, Meralco spokesman said, that of 10 a.m. Friday, Meralco power linesmen and workers are conducting round the clock operation to restore power in areas where there is still no electricity. “Our workers are doing everything they can to restore power back in areas still without electricity,” he said.

Joe Zaldarriaga, Meralco spokesman said, among the areas still without power in Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, and Laguna include:

· Manila: parts of Sta. Mesa, Binondo, Tondo, Sta. Cruz, Sampaloc, Gagalangin;

· Quezon City: parts of San Francisco Del Monte (SFDM); Mabuhay, New Manila, La Loma, San Jose, Balintawak, San Bartolome, Batasan, Greater Fairviw, Novaliches, President Quirino, Balara, Kamuning, Mabuhay, Katipunan, Pugad Lawin, Bahay Toro, Balong Bato, White Plains, and Sta. Monica;

· San Juan: Salapan, Batis, Malanday, Kabayan, Maytunas, San Perfecto, San Perfecto;

· Marikina City: Sto. Niño, Nangka, Malanday, Industrial Valley, Jesus Dela Peña, Tañong, Concepcion 1, Balite, Burgos, Rosario;

· Rodriguez (Montalban): San Jose, Ampid;

· San Mateo, Rizal: Dulong Bayan II, Guinang Bayan I and II, Maly, Ampid I, II, III; Banaba, Sta. Ana;

· Antipolo, Rizal: Mayamot, San Luis, Muntindilaw;

· Tanay, Rizal: San Isidro;

· Cainta, Rizal: Sto. Domingo, San Andres, San Juan, San Roque;

· Angono, Rizal: Angono, Kalayaan, Poblacion Ibaba, San Vicente;

· Pasig City: Sta. Lucia, San Joaquin, Manggahan, Dela Paz;

· Taguig City: Bagumbayan, Lower Bicutan, Fort Bonifacio, Upper Bicutan, Ususan;

· Makati City: Rizal;

· Mandaluyong City: Daang Bakal, Pag-asa, Harapin ang Bukas;

· Calupit, Bulacan: Pio Cruzcosa, Sta. Lucia, Mercado, San Agustin, San Isidro, San Jose, San Juan, Sta. Monica, Sto. Niño;

· Malolos City, Bulacan: Longos;

· Paombong, Nulacan: Sta. Cruz, Balungao, Bulusan, Calizon, Corazon, Gugo, Meysulao, Meyto, Panducot, San Jose, San Miguel, Sta. Lucia;

· Hagonoy, Bulacan: Tampok;

· Balagtas, Bulacan: Wawa, San Juan;

· Norzagaray, Bulacan: Bangkal, Poblacion;

· Obando, Bulacan: Catanghalan, Lawa;

· Meycauyan, Bulacan: Bancal, Lawa;

· Marilao, Bulacan: Ibayo, Sta. Rosa I, Bay, San Antonio, San Isidro;

· Los Baños, Laguna: Bayog;

· Sta. Cruz, Laguna: Sto. Angel Central, Gatid, Binan (town proper), Canlalay;

· Biñan, Laguna: Dela Paz, Sto. Tomas, Malaban, Mamatid;

· Cabuyao, Laguna: Looc;

· Calamba, Laguna: Sampiruhan, Cuyab, Landayan, San Antonio;

· San Pedro, Laguna: San Roque, Landayan;

· Sta. Rosa, Laguna: Caingin;

· Muntinlupa City: Buli, Cupang, Poblacion, Putatan, Tunasan, Bayanan;

· Las Piñas City: Manuyo I;

· Malabon City: Potrero, Tinajeros, Maysilo, Baritan, Dagat-Dagatan, Panghulo;

· Caloocan City: Sta. Quiteria, Bagong Barrio, Grace Park;

· Valenzuela City: Caruhatan, Marulas, Lingunan, Veinte Reales, Dalandan, Balangkas, Bisig, Coloong, Isla, Mabolo, Malanday, Palasan, Pariancillo Villa, Pasolo, Pulo, Tagalag, Malanday, Caruhatan, Marulas, Hen T. De Leon, Palasan.

Zaldarriaga said Meralco is also conducting line-to-line inspection to guarantee public safety prior to the restoration of power.

He also advised customers to call Meralco hotline number 16211 or text to 09209716211 (Smart) or 09175516211 (Globe) if their electric meter was submerged in water.

Customers may also call the Meralco hotline number if they need the services of a licensed electrician.

source: mb.com.ph

P11-B Meralco Loans Falling Due

MANILA, Philippines --- Roughly P10.9 billion loans of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) will fall due from this year until 2016, according to company records.

For this year, the utility firm has P2.909 billion worth of loans maturing. The next debt maturities will be for P736 million in 2013; P2.336 billion in 2014; P159 million in 2015; and P4.815 billion in 2016.

From 2016 and onwards, the worth of expiring debts will amount to P11.867 billion. Over the specified period, the scheduled maturing debts would be P22.822 billion.

According to Meralco chief finance officer Betty C. Siy-Yap, they may not need to tap any borrowings to settle maturing obligations because their internal cash generation can still fully cover it.

When the group of tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan took over the management of Meralco, it has continually posted growth in earnings, topping the P14.9 billion mark last year.

Meralco officials noted that they might consider securing new loans when they reach construction phase for their 600-megawatt coal fired power project in Subic.

They have acquired majority stake last year from what were held by original proponents – the Aboitiz group and a Taiwanese partner.

The company is currently resolving the transmission connection concern for the planned facility, but Meralco is confident that it can still bring the plant to commercial operation by 2015.

The Subic facility is one of the future supply sources identified by Meralco that shall cater to its projected demand growth.

Other power projects are also on its blueprint, including forays on liquefied natural gas-fired facility and a peaking thermal plant.

source: mb.com.ph

Prepaid electricity may cost Meralco customers P25 billion a month

MANILA, Philippines - The government stands to gain P25 billion each month from prepaid electricity - an amount that can plug the Philippines' P279 billion full-year budget deficit. The catch is, customers of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) would have to fork out that amount.

Prepaid electricity is a scheme that would allow Meralco customers to manage their consumption, in the same way prepaid plans allow telecom subscribers to rationalize their mobile phone use.

However, each of the five million Meralco customers would have to shell out a P3,000 registration fee and between P500 and P1,000 a month to subscribe to prepaid electricity, said Marthyn Cuan, the company's chief information officer. These represent costs for the prepaid meters, which have communications components that are regulated and thus levied fees by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

"We'd like to waive it but we have to get clearance from Department of Finance and the Office of the President," Cuan said.

"NTC understands na hindi naman namin ito ibebenta ng per minute calls. It's for the use of the equipment. That's why we're very optimistic we can get it waived, we just need government awareness na hey, we have to get our acts together or the consumers will bear the brunt," he added.

Meralco plans to conduct a technical test for prepaid electricity in July in preparation for a much wider commercial pilot project. The utility is preparing its 'smart grid' technology as a platform for the prepaid service.

source: interaksyon.com

Joker blames EPIRA, not Aquino on Mindanao power crisis

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Joker Arroyo on Sunday blamed the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA law), not President Benigno Aquino III, for the worsening power crisis in Mindanao, saying the goals of the law were not achieved.

“You cannot blame the President on the power crisis in Mindanao…[the goal of EPIRA] was to lower the cost of electricity, and lessen the debts of the government, but it was not achieved,” said Arroyo. He added the situation “became worse because the cost of electricity is higher, and our debts have ballooned.”

He recalled that the EPIRA law, which he opposed in Congress, was enacted in 2001 among the major administration-backed bills under former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. It had the simple goal of lowering the cost of power rates and reducing the debts of National Power Corporation (Napocor).

“It was good then, it was fast-tracked, but after 10 years, look what happened,” Arroyo asked.

Today the cost of electricity in the Philippines remains the highest in Asia, or second in the whole world, he noted in the interview wth DZBB.

“Let’s not even discuss what happened in between,” Arroyo said. “They sold NAPOCOR assets. Then what happened to power rates? They shot up. Worse, we had shortages in supply in Mindanao.”

So now, he concluded, 10 years after, rates are higher, debts are bigger, and there is a shortfall in supply.

When EPIRA was passed in 2001, there was no power problem in Mindanao because the island had an overproduction of electricity produced by Independent Power Producers (IPP).

“For the IPP, we pay for electricity they produced even we did not use it because there was over-production of electricity, but now the private investors have sold the IPPs, they have recouped their investments. But as for us, our problems remain the same, and our power rates are the highest or the second highest in Asia. What do we do?”

he added.

Arroyo went back to the concept of electricity to make his point, citing its three aspects: generation, transmission and distribution.

“Tatlo ang concept ng electricity, generation by hydro-electric plants; transmission, by the National Transmission Corporation (which was also privatized, and I opposed it), and third is distribution like the Meralco. Generation, transmission and distribution, in simple terms. Imagine that: since 2001 the situation did not improve; we’re still mired in problems. It’s so hard to explain what happened within those 10 years,” he concluded.

source: interaksyon.com