Meralco schedules 2-hr brownouts for Thursday

(Updated 6:43 PM) Power distributor Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) announced another series of brownouts on Thursday, some of which may take place anytime until nine o’ clock this evening. But instead of lasting three hours — as previously announced earlier the same day — electricity cutoffs in its service area will only last for two hours, the company said in an announcement posted at its website. Earlier in the day, the company said it was going to implement three-hour rotating brownouts, citing problems in the 1,200-megawatt Ilijan Power Plant in Batangas City owned by Kepco. "Medyo mas hindi maganda ang sitwasyon natin ngayon. Batay sa information na binigay sa aming system control center mula sa system operator which is the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, 800 megawatts ang kakulangan for today," Meralco telecommunications manager Joe Zaldarriaga said in an interview on Unang Hirit. (Our situation today is worse than yesterday. Based on the info from NGCP, we are experiencing a power supply shortfall of 800 megawatts.)
Zaldarriaga said that problems experienced at the Ilijan Power Plant, as well as independent power producers undergoing preventive maintenance, worsened the shortfall from Sual, Sta. Rita modules, and Malaya power plants that caused the two-hour outages on Wednesday. "At this point ang maibibigay lang talaga ng Meralco insofar as this is concerned is magbigay ng timely update. Hindi namin kontrolado ang generation and transmission," he added. (At this point, Meralco can only give timely updates because we have no control over power generation and transmission). Zaldarriaga noted, however, that demand for power might decrease starting Friday, which is a holiday, and would continue until the weekend. The affected areas, as posted on Meralco’s website include: 9 a.m. to 12 noon schedule

• Batangas — Batangas City, Sto. Tomas, Tanauan
• Bulacan — Angat, Bocaue, San Ildefonso, San Jose del Monte, San Rafael, Sta. Maria
• Cavite — Alfonso, Amadbo, Bacoor, Dasmariñas, General Emilio Aguinaldo, General Trias, Imus, Indang, Maragondon, Mendez-Nuñez, Silang, Tagaytay City, Tanza, Trece Martirez City
• Laguna — Alaminos, Bay, Cabuyao, Calamba, Calauan, San Pablo City, San Pedro, Sta. Rosa
• Metro Manila — Bagong Barrio, Dagat-Dagatan, Grace Park, Poblacion, Sta. Quiteria, Talipapa (Caloocan City); Almanza 1, BF International Village, Manuyi II, Pamplona I, II, III; Pulanglupa II; Talon I, II, III, IV, V; Zapote (Las Piñas); Catmon, Dagat-Dagatan, Longos, Tonguya, Tugatog (Malabon); Brgys. Addition Hills, Bagong Silang, Daang Bakal, Hagdang Bato Libis, Harapin ang Bukas, Pagasa (Mandaluyong); Ermita, Sampaloc, Malate, Sta. Ana, Sta. Mesa (Manila); Barangka, Calumpang, Industrial Valley, Jesus de la Peña, Malanday, Marikina Heights, Parang, San Roque, Sta. Elena, Sto. Niño, Tañong (Marikina); Alabang, Bayanan, Buli, Cupang, Muntinlupa, Poblacion, Putatanan, Sucat, Tunasan (Muntinlupa ); Dagat-Dagatan (Navotas); Baclaran, Tambo, San Isidro, San Dionisio (Parañaque); Pasay City; Dela Paz, Santolan (Pasig City); Bago Bantay, Balintawak, Cubao, Kamuning, Katipunan, Kaunlaran, Kaunlaran District 4, La Loma, Mabuhay, Murphy, New Manila, Novaliches, President Quirino, Project 4, Pugad Lawin, San Bartolome, San Franciso Del Monte (Quezon City); San Juan; Valenzuela.
• Pampanga — Apalit, Candaba, San Simon
• Quezon Province — Mauban, Sampaloc, Tayabas
• Rizal — Cainta

9 to 11 a.m. schedule:

• Bulacan — Angat, Baliuag, Bustos, Guiguinto, Malolos, Norzagaray, Pandi, Plaridel, Pulilan, San Jose del Monte, San Jose Del Monte City, San Rafael
• Cavite — Bacoor, Dasmariñas, General Trias, Imus, Kawit, Naic, Noveleta, Rosario, Tanza
• Laguna — Cabuyao, Liliw, San Pablo City
• Metro Manila — Bagong Barrio, Grace Park, Sta. Quiteria (Caloocan City); BF International Village, Daniel Fajardo, Elias Aldana, Ilaya, Manuyo I, Pamplona I, II, III; Pulang Lupa I, II; Talon I, II, III; Zapote (Las Piñas); Sampaloc, Sta. Cruz, Tondo (Manila); Concepcion II (Marikina); San Dionisio, BF Homes, San Isidro (Parañaque); Bagong Bantay, Balara, Balintawak, Batasan, Central, Diliman, Katipunan, Kaunlaran, Mabuhay, Murphy, President Quirino, Project 4, Pugad Lawin, San Francisco Del Monte, Tandang Sora (Quezon City); Hen T. De Leon, Ugong (Valenzuela)
• Quezon Province — Candelaria, Dolores, Lucban, Tiaong
• Rizal — Antipolo, Baras, Cainta, San Mateo, Tanay, Taytay - LBG/RSJ/RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV