Power crisis in Mindanao now a reality-DOE

The Department of Energy confirmed that the supposedly looming power crisis in Mindanao is already happening.

This was the revelation made by DOE undersecretary Zamzamin Ampatuan, who said the power crisis everyone is talking about already exists and will get worse if the agencies and companies concerned are not able to provide a solution by end of the year.

“Indeed there is a shortage.” Ampatuan said the critical period has been known to the government, especially from the DOE’s point of view, as early as 2007. But for Mindanao, he added the critical period has already started this 2009 but the solution is still unclear.

He said the immediate solution identified by the government includes the putting up of new power plants. However, he said, only three power plants are actually committed but it will take about three years to get all of them done.

Among the three projects are the Sibulan Hydro which is currently being done, the Mindanao 3 at the peak of Mt. Apo which is on the way to completion and the Kabulig Hydro which is experiencing some problems

“And even if these guaranteed power plants are completed they will still be short of the projected shortage of around 400MW,” Ampatuan said.

The Conal Holdings Corporation of the Alcantaras has unveiled a $450 million coal-fired power plant in Sarangani Province, which can generate up to 200MW of power but Ampatuan said this would be up by 2013 and would probably be enough to sustain the requirement to be subsistent.

The DOE projected a peak demand of at least 1,525MW for the Mindanao power grid and that projection does not even include the increase in demand when the big malls like Robinsons and SM City start to operate in General Santos City.

National Grid Corporation of the Philippines Gensan manager Manuel Jamoy earlier said that they are projecting a required capacity of 2,556MW for the Mindanao Grid by 2014.

He said Mindanao needs new power plants by December but even the DOE is at a lost as to where this power requirement can be sourced from. “By December we are not expecting any new power plant to be up,” he said.

The projected operation of the Sibulan plant will be a little solution, he said, but it will not address the whole problem that we will face by December.
“The challenge of putting up something quick is very serious,” he said. While the country is faced with another political exercise in 2010, there is only one thing that will address the problem of a power crisis in Mindanao and the whole country and that is to be more efficient in terms of power usage.

A DOE program is eyeing to save between 400 to 500MW of power, which is equal to one power plant, through the used of incandescent bulbs. Also included in the solution is the construction of energy-efficient buildings.

“These are quick solutions that are immediately doable; everybody can be a participant from the poorest to the richest,” he said. If all of these are adopted, he added, we can save as much as 2000MW of power in one year.

I Am Going To Gensan For MBS2!

Gensan or Dustdiangas as I used to call it when I first set foot on this dusty land several decades ago has indeed come a long way. I have many memories of Gensan mostly good, some bad---but they all contributed to making me a better person ---well, hopefully. And while I have always returned home during holidays and vacations, it is only now that I am tracing back my roots hoping that I would be given more reasons to stay for good.

Thanks to the organizers of the MBS2 I now have one more reason to visit Gensan once again for reasons other than family. The holding of the bloggers summit in gensan is very timely considering that the city is experiencing a rebirth of its economic boom. Construction of the Robinsons Mall is underway and there are talks that SM will soon start constructing another mall also. So what's in store for bloggers who will join the MBS2 in Gensan? Lots of tuna and seafood for sure!

Thanks to these folks and companies, MBS2 is finally on!

CO-PRESENTERS:
NOKIA (Philippines), Inc.
Mayor Pedro B. Acharon, Jr.
Congresswoman Darlene Antonino-Custodio
ABS-CBN Regional Network Group
Bariles Republic

GOLD SPONSORS:
ACLC-Skeptron Ventures, Inc.
Gregoria Printing Press
International Container Terminal Services, Inc.
Grab A Crab Restaurant and Coffee Club 101

SILVER SPONSORS:
Asia United Bank
NoKiAHOST.COM - P5/day Philippines Webhosting
Family Country Hotel and Convention Center
East Asia Royale Hotel

BRONZE SPONSORS:
GensanSALE.COM - AnyThings for Sale in Gensan
Blogging from Home Book
Pacific Seas Seafood Market
Shalom-Crest Wizard Academy
Generals Logimark Exponent
Prints and You
Sta. Cruz Seafood, Inc.
Dellosa Design Builders, Inc.
Forest Lake San Carlos
Rolees Bakery & Cafe

Davao Movies: Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Most Dabawenyos will be spending their holidays (August 22-Friday and August 25-Monday are non-working holidays) outdoors due to the Kadayawan Festival so it is understandable that there's nothing much to see in the theaters expect extended flicks like Wall-E (which is a very good environmental movie that simplifies the effects of waste mismanagement and global warming to both kids and adults) and A Very Special Love.

However, there is a new movie showing so tag along your children to Star Wars: The Clone Wars. It is really much like the Star Wars movie version and focuses on the Galactic Republic conflict. See the Jedi Knights along with their clone army fight it out with Chancellor Palpatine's separatist movers. Not sure though if this is a cartoon version since the posters seem to be more like cartoon images rather than humans.

Movie schedules

Star Wars: War of the Clones
NCCC Mall Cinema 3
12:00/2:00/4:00/6:00
SM City Davao Cinema 1
12:00/2:15/4:30/6:45

Dobol Trobol
NCCC Mall Cinema 4
11:35/1:40/3:45/5:50
SM City Davao Cinema 2
11:20/1:45/4:10/6:35