DBM releases P2B for Napocor-SPUG's fuel needs

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released over the weekend P2 billion to cash-strapped National Power Corp. (Napocor), the department said over the weekend. The money has been earmarked as fuel allowance of Napocor’s Small Power Utilities Group. (SPUG). This should allow Napocor to provide missionary areas with electricity, as part of the state-controlled firm’s mandate, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said. There have been sporadic outages in some of far-flung SPUG areas, Abad said. “The P2 billion was immediately released by the government to address the [Napocor’s] precarious financial condition and its impact to the power supply in off-grid islands or SPUG areas, some of which have already experienced sporadic brownouts due to fuel supply constraints," according to the Budget chief. — VS, GMA News