ZAMBOANGA CITY--The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has said that rotational brownouts will continue until next week after the Western Mindanao Power Corp. (WMPC), Independent Power Producers’ (IPP), shut down its power plant here.
Beatriz Martinez, NGCP spokesperson for Western Mindanao said electricity generation capacity has been reduced following the load drop from WMPC’s shut down and after five other generating units of Napocor and power plants in Mindanao followed suit.
Also, two other hydroelectric power plants are simultaneously being repaired from clogged-up trash tracks and on preventive maintenance shutdown and normal power supply will be restored once repairs will be finished, Martinez added.
Power supply in the island will be limited from 10:00 in the morning to 4:00 in the afternoon and from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM everyday.
In Zamboanga Peninsula, the affected electric cooperatives are the Zamcelco, Zamsureco 1 and 2, Zaneco, Moelci 1 and 2 and Laneco.
Meanwhile, businessmen, particularly the canning factories, have raised their voices against the operational brownouts, which, they said, has already paralyzed their operations, upset their productivities and affected their industry.
Zamboanga City has nine tuna canning factories.
REPORT BY MICHAEL MEDINA