1-hour rotating brownouts to hit Metro Manila, nearby provinces Thursday

Metro Manila and parts of surrounding provinces serviced by the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) will experience one-hour rotating brownouts on Thursday. A GMA Flash Report quoted Meralco spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga as saying that the brownouts, which will begin 10 a.m. and end at 5 p.m., were caused by a 245-megawatt shortage in electricity due to low water elevation in the Kalayaan hydroelectric plant in Laguna. The brownouts will be experienced in the following cities in Metro Manila: Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Quezon, Valenzuela, Las Piñas, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Makati and Taguig. Parts of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, Quezon province, Rizal, and Batangas will also experience rotating brownouts from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The El Niño phenomenon, which is expected to be felt in the country until June 2010, has caused low water elevation in hydroelectric plants nationwide. Provinces in Mindanao, a region highly dependent on hydroelectric plants, have been experiencing several hours of rotating brownouts for weeks already, prompting the Energy department and the House energy committee to ask President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to declare a power crisis in the region. On Wednesday, Press Secretary Crispulo Icban Jr. said the President may be "inclined" to declare a power crisis in Mindanao but was still awaiting inputs from Congress before making any decision on the proposal. [See: Arroyo may be 'inclined' to declare power crisis in Mindanao] - Johanna Camille Sisante/RSJ, GMANews.TV