And the Lights Went Off

You haven't been to Panay Island without having experienced the very thing that's been pissing it's locals off for the last three years or so: regular brownouts. Having lived all of my nineteen years in the Iloilo province, I can tell you it's getting worse year after year. So why am I writing blogging about this just now? Simple. It just happened again a few hours ago. So here goes my little, mostly civil rant.

First off, we the customers of Iloilo Electric Cooperative (ILECO) or Panay Electric Company (PECO) or whatever else in the province if any are paying much for less. As I've heard before from a lecturing outsider, Ilonggos pay higher bills relative to those living in other provinces. And yet what do we get for all those extra charges and high rates? Inadequate power supply which shows visible decline after about the 25th day of the month. There's the usual rotational brownout which proved an annoyance and a real bane when we are still working on our undergrad thesis.

Next is that we only have two power plants in operation. One is a privatized diesel power plant from which most energy is tapped. The other is a brand new coal-fired power plant whose power hasn't been distributed as yet over the Iloilo province. These doesn't seem enough. Even in Iloilo City where the coal-fired power plant is situated, the usual brownouts are still experienced. Signs of incompetence on the power utility provider's part perhaps?

Finally, I have something to say about those KIAs (Killed in action? Nah. Guess what it actually means. HINT: It is similar to the definition of omniscient) from the religious and environmental sectors who have been delaying the coal-fired power plant's construction last year. Why they've been kind of unrealistic, pushing expensive, low output "green" power sources over the CFP, which shouldn't have been approved if it's not feasible, but it is. Other times, they simply say no.

I understand their complaints about health risks though, given the people's initial reaction during the test fire. But then, harm is all part of that thing called change. Just imagine what benefit it can give in the long run, plus we can always relocate the residents living next to the CFP complex. What annoys me is that these KIAs have been like me complaining about inadequate power supply and still complain when someone actually tries to give it to them.

I'll end it here. Please understand that this post is highly opinionated and my random sources and/or I may be wrong. I'll be open to corrections.


----