‘We need electric power, not people power’

Judging from the tweets, comments and emails we received for a recent article we wrote, most Filipinos are more concerned about continuing unemployment, the rising prices of food and other basic commodities, and the calamitous effects of natural disasters. The constitutionality issue about the DAP and the call to wear yellow ribbons is irrelevant as far as one reader is concerned. “We have so many pressing problems to worry about at this time especially with the lack of power,” the frustrated reader wrote.

What Metro Manila experienced last Wednesday when millions of households were plunged into total darkness because of Typhoon Glenda is just the beginning of “dark days” ahead as more serious consequences can happen in the coming days with nature unleashing its full wrath. Obviously, we still have a long way to go as far as preparedness is concerned. One major fear that people have is the never-ending power outages. The economy suffers the most when blackouts occur – paralyzing everything.

According to Meralco, the country’s biggest power distribution firm, 90 percent of its franchise areas in Metro Manila and nearby provinces were affected by the typhoon. Fortunately, Meralco’s system utilizes technology that can pinpoint on screen, and in real time, the area or source of a blackout and if warranted, will shut down a faulty grid and reroute power supply. Although power has been restored in some places, rotating brownouts are being experienced because the supply is short — we don’t know what Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla means when he says there is no power crisis.

According to Meralco SVP Al Panlilio, the supply shortfall is one of the reasons why the company is diversifying and not just limiting itself to distribution, having increased its stake in power generation companies through subsidiary PowerGen to help ensure a sustainable supply of energy given the growing uncertainty over power security in the country. 

This was something that business groups aired to President Aquino in a position letter they sent last April — lamenting that the lack of power supply security is a major hindrance to sustained economic growth. In Mindanao for instance, the power crisis has been ongoing for four years with prolonged blackouts crippling businesses, like in SOCCSKSARGEN (Southern Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and GenSan) that has sustained the heaviest losses due to the power supply shortage.

Although private companies have been investing in the power industry like the Alsons Power Group (whose Sarangani Energy Corp. is currently constructing a 210-MW coal-fired power plant in Maasim expected to go online in 2015), the business groups stress the need for a “national power supply roadmap” specifying required power plants, their configurations and locations among other things, especially in light of aging power plants that require more frequent maintenance shutdowns. Unfortunately, government doesn’t seem to realize that since power projects take a long time to accomplish, the process for approvals should be drastically shortened.

At the end of the day, the public wants to be assured of adequate and reliable supply of electricity. Given the changing climate and the current situation, what people want is electric power – certainly not people power.

Nonsense or no sense at the Bureau of Customs

Another brewing problem is the mounting complaints about the chaos that seems to be prevalent at the Bureau of Customs nowadays especially with the new rules issued for accreditation that many described as another bureaucratic obstacle that will only spawn corruption. According to our source, everything seems to be in disarray since former Finance Undersecretary John Sevilla took over as commissioner after Ruffy Biazon resigned last December.

Whatever they may say about Biazon, he was doing a fairly good job and at the very least there was a system that gave a semblance of order as far as schedules and clearing of shipment and cargo are concerned, the source noted. An American arms company at the recent Asian Defense, Security and Crisis Management (ADAS) Exhibition at the World Trade Center in Pasay City complained that their items for display were unnecessarily held up at the BOC – so they ended up with nothing to display.

And to think the event was a milestone of sorts because it was the first time the ADAS was held in the Philippines with 130 companies from the US, UK, Canada, South Korea, Malaysia, France, Israel, etc. coming over to take part in the trade show. Both President Aquino and US Ambassador Philip Goldberg were at the trade show considered to be important for the country’s AFP modernization. The event attracted the big names in defense, security and disaster management.

But then again, what can you expect from a government agency that allows 135 drums of seized diesel to disappear right under its very nose, the fuel replaced by water without anyone even noticing? A few days ago, 27 containers — definitely much more than the maximum number of five containers allowed to be stacked in a pile – literally came crashing down in front of the BOC office in Manila.

The situation at the Bureau of Customs is now at its worst — less corruption because nothing is moving! Total nonsense happening at the BOC that makes no sense at all. No wonder it continues to miss collection targets for the sixth straight month now. This young man Sevilla, supposedly knowledgeable and a Princeton graduate, is definitely not cut out for the job. Unfortunately, he does not like taking advice from anyone. Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima should seriously look at the problem. What we need is a Customs Commissioner who is not only an intellectual but street smart as well.

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