The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) Thursday said rotating 1-hour blackouts will affect parts of Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon due to an expected shortfall in energy supply. Joe Zaldarriaga, external affairs manager of Meralco, said the rotating blackouts will start at 10 A.M. and last until 5 P.M. “According to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, the shortfall is only 245MW by 11 A.M. and 280MW by 2 P.M.,” he told radio dzMM. Officials said that within that period the brownouts would be sceduled for one-hour in each area or province. Among the affected areas are parts of Imus, Dasmari?as, Bacoor and General Trias in Cavite; Bagong Barrio, Dagat-dagatan and Maypajo in Caloocan; Malabon; Bagong Bantay, Kaunlaran, Batasan, Barangay Holy Spirit, Pugadlawin, San Francisco del Monte and Tandang Sora in Quezon City. Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes earler said power supply from the Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan (CBK) hydroelectric power plants fell to only 210 megawatts out of its total capacity of 700 MW due to low water elevation. National Power Corporation spokesman Dennis Gana, meanwhile, urged privately-owned power plants to delay scheduled maintenance operations to ensure continues power supply this week. But he added that Napocor has no control over independent power producers or private operators. – ABS
