Looks like there’s trouble in River City. Or should I say trouble in the City on the Gulf. The Gulf of Davao. Of course, what I mean is that there is trouble looming in Davao City.
What kind of trouble? Well, let’s go back to 2008 and start at the beginning, where any good story should start.
In 2008, the island of Mindanao experienced some serious power shortages. Lots of cities in Mindanao experienced brownouts for 4 to 6 hours in 2008. Davao had some brownouts too, daily brownouts in fact. However, we were spared those long brownouts, because Davao City has a plant that can generate it’s own electricity with diesel. That plant was able to generate enough electricity so that Davao only had one hour brownouts for the most part in 2008, with an occasional 2 hour brownout from time to time.
In the years since 2008, though, Davao has had very few brownouts at all. From time to time we might have a brownout that lasted 5 minutes to 15 minutes, but nothing worse than that. Still, even those short brownouts were only a few times per year. At this same time, some other places in Mindanao were suffering all these years with brownouts of as long as 12 hours, and they were daily. We were truly blessed here in Davao.
This year, though, 2014, has been a bit different. For a month or two now, we have been having rotating brownouts in Davao again. Generally, here in our neighborhood we have been having 1 hour brownouts twice or sometimes three times in a week. These brownouts didn’t really bother me much, I mean one hour is a pretty short time. Usually, I would just take a break from my work, go sit with the kids out on the patio enjoying a cool breeze and relaxing. In no time, the power was back on.
A long brownout
Yesterday morning (Wednesday, I am writing this on Thursday), we had a long brownout of 3 hours and 15 minutes. That was a long one, and quite uncomfortable. Hot, hot, hot. It also really interrupted my work day.
The big surprise, though, came later in the day yesterday. Davao Light and Power, our local electric company, announced that starting immediately we can expect brownouts of up to 6 hours per day here in Davao. The rest of the island is having it even worse than that.
The announcement said that we can expect to start having two brownouts per day. One brownout will come during the daylight hours, 4 hours. The second brownout will be at night, after dark, and that one will be 2 hours. Wow, 6 hours per day! What an inconvenience.
Why?
The reason that we will be experiencing such long brownouts was given, and they said it was because the power situation in Mindanao had reached critical levels. Most of our electricity comes from hydro resources over around the Iligan area, throughout Lanao really. They said that there is so little water in the rivers and reservoirs that there is just not enough capacity to generate electricity like there should be. Because it is at this level, without these long brownouts in Davao, the entire Mindanao grid could collapse. Davao, of course, is the biggest user of electricity in Mindanao, given the size of the city.
What will we do?
Feyma and I talked about this last night, and decided that we have to take steps to make our household work during this time of electrical shortage. We need to plan for these long brownouts and do things to help our family function and be as comfortable as possible.
We have some things that we can still use due to battery power.
- We recently got a new type of Internet, LTE, which operates off of the cellular network. It still works fine when there is no electricity, as I have a battery operated LTE WiFi Router. So, we can still work on the Internet even when it is brownout. We can do this using the LTE for the connection, either our cellular phones or laptop computers on battery power.
- For my LTE WiFi Router, I have two batteries, so I make sure that when we do have power, both batteries get a full charge in order to maintain power as long as possible when on batteries. Each battery should last about 5 hours, so we can stay online for up to 10 hours using battery power.
- I have a “power bank” as well, that allows me to use an external batter to charge and use our cellphones and some other battery powered items. Of course, when there is power it is also important to make sure that the power bank gets charged up for use when the power goes out.
Other items, non-battery, that need to be ready for brownout:
- Water can be a problem during brownouts. If the brownout is more than about 30 minutes or so, the water supply will also go out. This is because for longer brownouts the water company cannot pump the water to keep the pipes full. So, we have to make sure that we fill containers full of water for use when there is a long brownout.
- Generally, we will do anything we can think of to ensure that brownout times are as comfortable as possible.
- During brownouts another option is to go to malls and such where they have generators to keep the power on.
Generator?
I know some people are asking why I don’t buy a generator? Well, in the past I have not done that because when you get 3 or 4 brownouts a year and they are only 5 or 10 minutes each, well, you just don’t need a generator for that. With these 6 hour brownouts, though, things may change. It might be time to look into purchasing a generator. For now, it is my hope that it won’t be necessary. If we have these long brownouts for only a few weeks or a month, then we can make it through that. But, if this will be an ongoing problem then getting a generator is something that has to be considered and is even likely. The only option I can think of would be to move. But, there are brownouts almost everywhere in the Philippines. Right now, Mindanao is in bad shape, but who says the Visayas or Luzon won’t be next?
For now, you can bet… we’ll be keeping our batteries charged!
Fix your title Bob
It is really hard when the power is out. Brownout occurs in our city when there is a heavy rain.
What do you find wrong with the title?
Out of curiosity, do they have brownouts often in Manila?
And, yes, it is easy to say move. The question becomes, though, move to where?
HI Tom – Manila has brownouts, but not often. That’s because they get all the power allocations leaving other places in the dark! 😉 Such is life.
We get 3 or 4 brown outs per year in Manila (maybe more if we are out or asleep) usually not lasting more than 5 minutes. In over six years, we have had three that lasted longer. After typhoon Ondoy, 18 hours. One for three hours when a tree fell on a transformer, and one for an hour…. Not bad for six years
Hi John – Yep, Manila is a totally different situation than anywhere else in the Philippines. 😉 It is sure nice not to have brownouts.. but I still prefer living in Davao. 🙂
in the 18 months we have lived in metro manila I think we have had 1 two hour brown out
As I just told John, the situation in Manila is much different than the rest of the Philippines, and particularly Mindanao. To be honest, I think I’d rather live with 6 hour brownouts than live in Manila, though! I know we all have different preferences, but the place is just not for me. 🙂 No offense intended, just my own choice.
One of my neighbors is a senior engineer with San Miguel’s power plant division. His region of responsibility is Mindanao , in the CDO area. He told me that political infighting is a big part of why power in Mindanao does not improve. One mayor wants power, plans are drawn up, and other mayors block it because they want their areas done first. Add in resistance to coal and diesel plants, and you wind up with shortages. San Miguel benefits in the end because the demand, and prices, stay high. Manila does not face this problem since the seat of government is here
Possibly, not sure though, it is not what I have heard. Just one new plant will put all of Mindanao in good shape. There is construction in both Davao and GenSan that would solve the problem. Both are coal burning plants with locally sourced coal.
It reads what are we doing to do
Ah, OK, for me that is not the title.. the title is “Chargin’ Up”. I see what you mean. Unfortunately, it won’t allow me to edit it now. 🙂
Bob – Your posting was interesting to me in that I have the same experience only amplified from not being closer to Davao. Here in Tagum our power comes from those hydro sources and we have been experiencing some intermittent power problems as of late. Some of them seemingly caused by poorly trained or uncaring electric company employees. I will give you and the other readers an example that happened just the other night.
Here in Tagum City it is not uncommon to have rotating brownouts 3-4 days a week for about 2 hours each. However, the other night we went through what could be described as “power outage hell” with 6 outages coming in succession over a 4 hour period. Here’s how the scenario went:
2053 – Brownout begins
2237 – Brownout ends
2252 – Second brownout begins
2307 – Second brownout ends
2312 – Third brownout begins
2314 – Third brownout ends
2322 – Fourth brownout begins
2337 – Fourth brownout ends
2355 – Fifth brownout begins
0010 – Fifth brownout ends
0022 – Sixth brownout begins
0056 – Sixth brownout ends
As you can see most of these outages were short but these are even more irritating than the long ones because just as you thought the outage was over BAM! another one hits you. Now I suspect, as stated above, that the short outages we experienced were due to poorly trained personnel on the night shift not knowing how to reset the switches or whatever. It was like someone having an overloaded circuit, knowing that it was overloaded and still just going to the breaker box and repeatedly flipping the circuit breaker back on when it blew rather than exploring what the problem was and fixing it so the breaker would not trip again. This sounds like the most reasonable scenario to me given my experience with customer service here in the Philippines over the past 10 years of living here.
So, as MindanaoBob says, prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I am here with candles at the ready and some of those paper fans that they like to put advertisements on standing by for the outages to come. Also, like Bob, I am considering now buying me a generator to keep at least part of the power on when the outages appear. Good luck to everyone in Mindanao! I am there with you!
Tim in Tagum City (Davao Del Norte) sendzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Hi Tim – Yes, Tagum is much worse when it comes to brownouts than Davao City. We don’t get those repetitive short brownouts like you mention, not sure what that is all about! Hang in there, hopefully rains will come soon and the brownout situation will mitigate!
Bob – Yes, bring on the rain! (although I am not counting on it). Tagum is less severe than Mati, Davao Oriental where I lived for 2 years before moving here to Tagum. The ones I described in my reply to your posting were very unusual and probably caused by poor training or careless behavior rather than any system problem. We’ve been having like every-other-day brownouts recently lasting mostly for about 2-3 hours at a time. The area where I live was on the afternoon (4-6pm) shift until recently when we got shifted to the evening (6-8pm) shift. It’s a pain in the butt but that’s the price we pay for not having snow and cold I guess. Maybe someday the Philippines will invest in infrastructure further than just building or refurbishing roads. Hang in there brother!
TagumCityTim
Hi Tim – We had a 3 hour 15 minute brownout on Wednesday, that was the longest brownout we have had for many years here in Davao. The last one we had that long, as I recall, was 10 years ago! But, it seems like those types of things could be getting regular! I hpe not.
Bob
The solar energy story needs thought
1 Dont oversize 2 minimize 3 differentiate luxury from essentials (aircon etc)
If you get a smaller 600W-2kW UPS you can give automatic switch-over to the phase which services essentials, lights, fans, computers etc. You can power the UPS which houses the charge controller, inverter and automatic change over either by solar or grid. such a unit used commonly in India cost $100-$200 max you can check Alibaba or I can send you links.
The solar panels can be sized – 2-4 max will be suffice unless you plan to run to permanently run the house on them (in that case 8) – you can get them for about $150 each – cost 800? most expensive item.
Next is batteries – tubular ones are expensive but can take heavy loads and currents. $500 for long term.
All this you can carry in the back of a car and take to your next rental too. All you need is a sunny roof.
You wont need to dirty your hands on diesel/ petrol or see a bill again for 5-7 years when you might need to change batteries.
Check with Myra if you need more information
Wish you well and all the luck for rain, sun and clean power
Hi Sohrab – Thanks for the tips. I have to admit, if what you say is accurate for the Philippines, it would be very tempting and nice to have a system using solar to keep the power running! 🙂
Getting plenty of sun on the panels surely would not be a problem here!
Tell me what you need. The links or the system?
Happy to help anytime Bob 🙂
Thank you, Sohrab. I will be looking into this, and will contact you if needed!
Hmm..Question please?
When you experiance these “brown outs?”…are they instant total blackouts?..total lack of power or just low power jumping up and down?..Does this damage things like computers, refridge, freezers etc? Is there any way to safe-guard the appliances?
I know this is pretty common throughout the islands..I don’t mind the dark so much as having to replace a bunch of stuff every few times…lol
~~Richard
Hi Richard – a “Brownout” in the Philippines is what you and I would call a blackout – a total lack of power. Of course electrical items can be damaged, mostly by a surge in the electricity when power returns. Many items have circuits that cut off the power, like a circuit breaker, for power going to things like air conditioners and such, so that they won’t be damaged. Over the years, I have lost a few things to brownouts, but not as common as one may think.
ok..:)..thanks..do surge protectors help? or effective?..refrigerators are costly…lol..so is my pc for that matter..
Btw..I grew up in rural upstate NY..dirt road..out house the whole 9 yards..we had our own delco plant with wet batteries..I learned to read by kerosene lamp and I kinda miss the soft light and the smell..lol..outage of power will not bother me as much as paying to get my “stuff” replaced..:)
Your average surge suppressor is not big enough to handle a good sized fridge or aircon. For us, we usually unplug our big appliances during brownout, then plug it back in after power us restored.
Unplugging sounds like good advise. I will do that next time.
It is a pretty simple solution, John.
Hopefully generators wont be in short supply with the new cicumstances.Hang in there bob.
Thanks, Tim. Generators are always in short supply when brownouts get to be a problem! 🙂
Bob… I can send you a genset fro the factory in Sweden direct. Just need to know LPG, diesel or petrol and how many kW you need. Mindanao Bob discount, of course.
We have an LPG project in Thailand now, 53 kW… Enough to run around 20 window air cons. Cost to run on LPG around p150 / hour.
Hi John – Thanks for your offer, right now I don’t really plan on having a generator. If things get worse, or will be bad for the long term, though, I may reconsider!
Does anyone in the Philippines use solar?
I have a working solar panel that I built. I shipped it to Digos, Mindanao in a large balikbayan box. It was a science project that I completed a few years ago to see what the cost would be in building a solar panel. The panels are expensive but you can build one for about $150.00, depending on the parts you buy and if you can solder the connections. I bought all my parts on ebay. We use the panel to run a fan and sometimes for the water pump. You need a deep cycle battery to store the power and a good one is hard to find in Davao.
http://siyensya.com/2013/07/20/a-working-solar-panel-in-mindanao-philippines-with-video/
Hi Kevin – A “deep cycle” battery, would a car battery do the job?
Hope you are doing well, and I hope to see you soon! Ayo ayo!
Hey Bob,
No, a car battery is no good. A car battery is designed to give maximum cranking power in a short time- just to start the car. A golf cart uses a deep cycle battery, this way the power flows out over a long time.
We are all well, thanks. My family now lives in Los Banos. We’ll be down to visit in Mindanao this summer – catch up with you then.
Thanks, for sharing that, Kevin. Just shows how much I know about this sort of thing… I thought a car battery and a golf cart battery would be about the same thing! 🙂
Time for me to send generators
Some people do, of course. We used to have solar for hot water heating in another house we used to live in. But, solar is VERY expensive here. Better solution is a diesel generator.
Now may be the time, Brent.
Fit a generator in a LBC balik bayan box.
Hi Bob, I’ve been following your site with my husband GaryM for a while now. We are gonna be moving to the Ilocos province. I know they have brown outs here and there but never lasted for that long period of time. Hopefully it don’t get as bad as how you are experiencing. Keeping our fingers crossed those Bangui windmills are there for a purpose not just for tourist to take their selfies with.
Hi Pearl – Pretty much every place in the Philippines has brownouts, hopefully for your sake they won’t get bad, as you mention.
Thanks for following my site!
Ha ha.. any generator that would fit into a balikbayan box probably would not be adequate to power the items you would want to run during a brownout. They are a little bigger than that! 😉
We will be coming in with an 8k generator for emergencies. I hope that we don’t have to run it too much. That sure could get expensive quick.
You are right, Gary, running the generator is a huge expense. Especially if you have like 8 or 12 hour brownouts. People complain that electricity cost is high here, but a generator costs a multiple of the regular costs!
Our generator is good for 12hrs on 5 gallons of gas. Thats right at 19 liters. 50 to 55 per liter. That would be quite pricey quick other than for emergencies.
Yeah, you are right. 50 to 55 per liter would be for gasoline. If I were to get a generator it would be a diesel generator, so we would be talking more like 44 or 45 per liter, but still very spendy!
I remember back in the 90s brownouts were common in the NCR, but thankfully, very rare now. I’m in Binan, Laguna, and can’t remember the last one. More than a year ago.
Hi John – That is kind of how it has been in Davao City for the past 5 years or so, but we are getting hit now. Hopefully the situation will be resolved quickly, as a LOT of Dabawenyos are really mad about this!
Actually the Generators that I use here for events that are around 7K will fit inside a LBC box, They are getting smaller by the day now.
Very informational story Bob! Going to be a lot of hurdles to overcome when I get there. Rolling with the flow will be easy for me because it’s only ME. Getting set-up and prepared will take some doing. Learning the ropes!
I can handle the long blackouts, as long as I get a UPS backup on my computer and router. – No! Not for facebook, for my teaching and classes.
Those are just too small to run a house on, Brent. Maybe for keeping a few things going though…
Do you really believe it’s not for my Facebook?……..
Hi Bill Asberry – Unfortunately, it’s not a story, though, it’s real! 😉 Yep, you gotta roll with the flow!
true, but when power goes out here I can run all my lights, TV, Fridge fans all at one time, that would be good enough there too in a brown out
Hi Kenneth Crawley – Yep, you gotta be able to work, even during brownouts!
Hi Kenneth Crawley – Of course, FB too! 😉 LOL
Oh no, I know it’s real. I just mean it was a nice piece of writing on something very useful. Thanks! lol
Hi Brent – Yeah, but we want to be able to run our AirCon units! Get your priorities straight, my friend! 😉
Bill Asberry – I was teasing you! 🙂
That’s why I put the smiley face, Bill Asberry.
Bob, I know that! LOL Just was complimenting you. I have a lot of challenges ahead of me. lol
Yes, coming to a new land.. it is always full of challenges! 🙂
Bob, I think it’s part of the excitement for me. Just hope I feel that way when I’m taking a shower and the water goes out. haha
Believe me, Bill, there is nothing exciting about sitting in the dark with sweat rolling off of you!
haha @ Bob. lol I bet. I had a Doc appointment today. I”m setting up an appointment with International Travel Clinic to get more shots. I’ll bring some bottled electricity with me. 🙂
Forget the shots, they are not needed.
Cool. I hate needles anyway! lol
I would have felt like a new puppy going to a new home. Figured I would have made sure I had all my shots. haha 🙂
Total waste of time and money, Bill Asberry. They will give you shots for things like Malaria, which is almost non-existent here. You are fine with no shots at all. I mean, if you tetanus shot is out of date, get that, but that would be something to keep up to date no matter where you live.
wow..this is actually one of my questions about my migration..lol..my doctor is Indian and says I need a ton of shots…I can see tetanus but some of the other regimens he is telling me I need?..wow..pretty elaborate.
I plan on hep shots but the rest may be unneeded?
The hep might be a good idea, but in general just forget the shots.
You might be able to get the shots in The Philippines for much less cost, and…………………….have them given to you by a very pretty Filipina Nurse ! Yes, it could be possible that even getting injection shots in The Philippines is MORE FUN !
Thanks fellers..:)..I think you just saved me a bunch of money…
Awesome Bob! Once again – you saved me money! Thanks! 🙂 When they call I’ll decline. 🙂
Our 7K runs our AC and that is 220 it turns it on, its new so it uses such little power even at 220. what we have done in the neighborhood for some of us is we have bought the switch panel. works great.
http://powerequipment.honda.com/generators/connecting-a-generator-to-your-home
If I were to buy a generator it would be a bigger one. For you guys, it a rarely used thing. For here, if the brownout situation continues, it would be daily use. I just feel that it would be prudent to have something a little heavier duty. 🙂
True or pigtail a few together 🙂
I’d rather have one unit of adequate size than a daisy chain of a bunch of small ones. Personal choice, I guess. I also would want something I can buy locally, so that service and such are readily available.
Yea a good 20K whisper will run you and the neighbors, you can charge them for the days its on 🙂 pays for its self
I’ll bring my Brother (Gary) over on a visit. The guy can fix or install anything. Bob, sounds like you got a great handle on that sort of thing too. First thing I need is a roof over my head (rental) and then I’ll worry about the rest later. Baby steps. lol
Ha ha… now you are talking my language, Brent.
I will say – the hot weather is going to be great for my diet program. Well….I hate to bail my friends, but there’s a hockey game coming on SOON! lol
Been there done that. It was that way here in Luzon too in the late 80’s. This was during another Aquino administration…no elevators and ac in office buildings….you wonder how things got done but they did.
Hi Bob
Here in Misamis Occidental we normally have 2 x 1hr brownouts per day. That we can handle, hope it dosen’t worse.
Hi Jack, I don’t mind a one hour brownout, the long ones are a pain, though.
I guess my move was timed perfectly back in February when we left Davao for Manila. I have to say I do not miss it there in the slightest. 8 years living in the province was enough. I look at retirement as a time for one to be rewarded and enjoy the conveniences and benefits that we worked out lives to achieve and the province of the Philippines could be very challenging at times in this department. You are still working so this is even exacerbated even more. While Manila might be a little hectic and dirty it offer incredible conveniences and also has all the other things I enjoy as well such as golf (ten minutes away) , swimming (right in my building) Health Club (four blocks) great restaurants, shopping, and easy access to the Cavite area which is lush in greenery and beautiful beaches. I fear your situation will even get worse as there are more and more demands on the system as more people move into the Area and more development takes place. Hopefully rain will come next month and relieve some of these problems. Bob you can always move to another Island and it is quite easy to chance your moniker to Cebu Bob, Negros Bob or Luzon Bob LOL I know how much you love living there but have you even looked at other places in the Country? I think most people would agree where you live comes down to quality of life and electricity plays a vital role in that I would say.
Hi Corey, glad to hear that you don’t miss Davao. Truth is, I don’t think anybody here misses you either. 😉 LOL.
True no doubt, but even for you that is not a nice thing to say LOL
Not trying to be mean, just speaking the truth. LOL
Without beating a dead horse you are absolutely correct. Turns out much of this was due to blood pressure medicine I was wrongly put on after my heart episode in 2005 (for over 8 years) and this caused terrible anger management issues. I am off the meds since I think August of 2013 and I have mellowed/normalized so I will hereby apologize to all those I might have offended (everyone I have met LOL) you and your family included. Alas, now I must head over to my nicely air conned Health Club to work out Stay health y young man.
Understood, Corey.
I sometimes think it would be nice to live by a tropical beach, and relax under the palm trees. Like I used to dream about after watching “South Pacific” in cold and wet old London! I’v been to Davao a number of times, and love it there,but I’m not so sure if I could stay permanently. I also wouldn’t want to live in Manila. That would be like living in a hot London, or any other congested city in the world. I’m now in Binan/San Pedro(border) Laguna, and when I think about it, it has everything. I’m 2 mins from the SLEX. 5 mins from Southwoods golf course. 15mins from Alabang, which has supermarkets catering for foreigners, and a great British pub! If no traffic, 30mins from Makati, or NAIA. 45mins from Tagaytay, and an hour to the beaches in Batangas. The one thing that I do like about the province, is that you can get a decent size lot, at a reasonable price. I like a garden! But you can’t have everything, so on balance, I’m happy here.
Hi John, of course everybody has their own personal preferences and there is nothing wrong with that. For me, I love living in Davao, it is just right for me.
100% Bob!
John,
We’re moving just down the road from you in Lipa City at the end of the month. I like that its close to the Star Tollway and you can get to several places pretty quick including Manila in 1 1/2 hours.
Yes Papaduck. The Star Tollway is a real boon not Lipa. I’v used it many times.
Everything I own makes me money LOL that’s how I run the company. If it can move, or what ever it makes money. My Generators are $195 per event. 🙂
How about solar energy Bob? I have a housing unit here that can light up 4 led lights for a long time if fully charged. It can even charge any devices that uses like 6 kinds of usb pins. I also have portable ones. I will post pictures of it soon.
Myra
How is everything going. How is your computer work going. Maybe one day we can get together
Your article definitely hit home with me Bob. As you know, here in Ozamis, I have been experiencing multiple extended brownouts since arriving here over 2 years ago. when I would mention it online, I would get comments like move, get used to it ,get a generator, get solar power etc. as you also know I bought a large Freezer and had filled it with food. On the 28th of Feb this year I took a 7 day trip to Subic Bay area. The day I flew out Mindanao went black and power here was not restored for over 48 hours and then brownouts became frequent daily consisting of 3 hours off and 2 hours on all day every day! My freezer thawed and I lost every thing in it. I had enough grief from the loss of power to to get the Generator but had to save enough money over 2 months to pay cash for it since the shops that sold them do not have finance plans. I got a 10 KW generator because from previous experience in the USA I knew a 5 KW would not carry the load I have here. I am guessing that my diesel bill will top 15,000 PHP a month. But at least my food will be safe and I will be cool and have computer and TV and cold beverages in the heat!
Hi Joe, I saw the picture of your generator on Facebook yesterday, it looked good. Sorry to hear about the loss of your frozen good! Terrible news.
For long scheduled brownouts here we try to go to the beach where there is more shade and a breeze. Invite a few friends and have a nice lunch 🙂 Recently making our own “freezer packs”, since it’s been so hot lately. 1 cup of 70% rubbing alcohol, 2 cups water, and some food coloring to make sure they stand out. Put in two layer ziplocks and freeze. Put one of these on your chest when you start overheating and it will drop your core to a comfortable temp for a long while 🙂
That’s how I am too, Brent Showtime. If there is something I want to buy, I can usually figure out how to make money from it.
I would want something a lot more powerful than that, Myra Rose Ilisan. Congrats though for having some solar power.
Hi Rease Wold, sounds like that works for you. For us, going to the beach is nice, but we also must be able to earn some living! Hard to do that at the beach.
Hi Rease Wold, sounds like that works for you. For us, going to the beach is nice, but we also must be able to earn some living! Hard to do that at the beach.
Fortunately we only lose power maybe once a month, so no impact here really. When it goes out at night though, like to keep the icepacks handy so I’m not lying in a pool of sweat hoping for the power to come back on….
Fortunately we only lose power maybe once a month, so no impact here really. When it goes out at night though, like to keep the icepacks handy so I’m not lying in a pool of sweat hoping for the power to come back on….
Ah, once a month, that’s not bad then!
Ah, once a month, that’s not bad then!
Hi Bob,
Very experienced with brownouts and the preparations.
As one short example: What to do with the food in the ref? For short periods its OK to leave it in place and tell folks not to open often or at all. However if its to be a longer period and you have lots of items then a cooler on standby is what we have for the occasional power issues in Meyacuayan. Two actually. One is a YETI brand cooler and if you have never used one before it will keep ice for a week! so a few hours is no problem at all. I have used these for years when camping and fishing and they last forever and are in fact Bearproof! LOL
We sent one super large YETI over last trip and used it as a BOX for travel items till we got it in country. Slightly expensive purchase, but very useful item and can be used for parties and trips etc. Also have a Plug in cooler that runs off Solar that will work for other items. Main draw back there is it requires a car batt 12V to work.
As for the cell phones, laptops and the LTE etc. Power Bricks are the best and they are cheap insurance. They stay pluged in all the time and trickle charge till you need them Some of the newer ones will charge off solar as well and they sell those at Costco over stateside. Perhaps S&R sells those where you are. Dunno.
In the past I have used generators as backups, and here is my experience. BUY LOCAL! Imported ones from the USA sure sound nice, but good luck getting parts OR service….and most of them are 110 anyway, unless you get the bigger ones that plug into the Main panel of the house for 220V. The local ones work just fine if you buy the right ones and treat the gas path correctly so it works when ya need it.
For us, in the distant past when brownouts were a daily thing, the generator was only used for the Ref and some fans. We used Kero lamps for light and of course most everyone uses propane for cooking so no problema having a cookout!
In an extreme case one could have propane air conditioners and Refs, but I have only seen these once in the Philippines, and I do not know of they sell them in country for Medical backup or comfort cooling. They ARE a very efficient use of propane and well worth a look for backup plans. Some folks in Rural USA use them 24/7/365 as well as Boats and RV’s etc.
Good Luck. and as we always joke: Its more fun in the Philippines!
Hi Joe – Yep, it’s always good to make preparations that will not only make you more comfortable, but also save things like food from spoilage.
I haven’t seen anything like a solar power bank at S & R, but maybe someday. 🙂
Here, outside of Angeles City, it is seldom we have brown out. When it happens…maybe once a month or less – it’s usually 10-15 minutes. Not bad and i can live with that.
when our house here is sold we build a new house in Cebu, and from the very start solar energy will be integrated as a primary source. yes it costs, but in at relative short time it will pay off. Electricity is expensive here.
One of my (many) nephews installed 2 smaller panels on his house recently, thy can cover aircon, light and computer(s). I think the expense for that small installment was something like 20.000 P.
My personal advice would be, that if you have some capital, install solar, it may cost some money, but it will pay back.
Hi Axel – Solar is quite expensive, but as you say, electricity here is high too, so it will pay off in a relatively short time. However, since we rent and have no interest in buying a house, I really have no interest in paying for solar that my landlord will own. 😉
Of course not…It would be wasted in a rental 🙂
For sure, Axel.
It is a problem Bob, and not one I can see going away any time soon. Perhaps the answer is a small generator…buy it from Australia if necessary…I could help if you wish, 220v…just enough to run a couple of lights and charge laptops etc. Sure enough, if you need to run Air Conditioners, it’s going to be an expense, but with a small 1.5 – 2kw generator, the operating cost will not be too much, and at least emergency power is available.
Of course, you could also consider buying a Toyota Prado or Land Cruiser…the new models have a 220v ac outlet in the back, and you could all sit in that and enjoy the AC too!!!
For the length of brownouts that we have, or would be expected, I don’t see a need for charging laptops or running a few lights with a small generator. If I were to get a generator (and I would only buy local), it would be for comfort – running at least one aircon unit, etc. in addition to keeping computers going. But, we can always go to a mall coffee shop with our laptops, and that will keep us in business. The other option would be to get an apartment in Cebu (or elsewhere) and spend weekends in Davao while taking care of business in a place where there is power.
Thanks for your offer of help, though, Jim.
Bob
Sorry to hear about the brownouts. Hopefully won’t be for an extended period. It makes it very difficult to run your business and live comfortable in this heat. It’s rained here last few afternoons and evenings. Maybe it will coming your way soon.
Hi PapaDuck – Yep, it is my hope that this does not go on for a prolonged period of time!
Bob, you’re on the Net so much due to your work you’ll probably be the one to come up with a water resistant laptop good for a depth of 100 ft. 🙂
You never know, Bill, I am always working on new stuff. LOL
I will say this Bob. When it comes to computers, blogging, and the Philippines you’re a genious! Not many folks can go over there with no guaranteed income and knock it out of the park like you did. Lots of people have things handed down to them, but you’re self made. Kudos to you and your family! 🙂 I think I’m going to turn-off the game and go watch the movie, “Heaven is For Real”. 🙂
Thanks, Bill. It didn’t happen overnight, though, I had to hit bottom and then figure out how to get back. I am thankful that I was able to do it.
When your on the bottom – there is only one way – UP!
No, there are three ways, Peter, you can find a new bottom, stay where you are, or move up! I chose #3.
you are scaring me with this, I cant run a business from there is the power is down for 6 hours. They have got to fix this.
Everybody has the same problem, John Culbreth.
Everybody has the same problem, John Culbreth.
exactly, but not in the states. I wonder if the industrial/commercial areas of manila, or cebu are any better off? Probably not. It is starting to look like a move there is out of the question for now.
I am not talking about the States. There are other issues there instead of electricity. I don’t care to live there, but maybe you do. About the only place in the Philippines where there are only tiny power issues is Manila. Cebu has less right now than Davao, but that is just right now. Like I said in the article, usually we have maybe 30 minutes or an hour per year of brownout in Davao. Right now is an exceptional time. Remember I said there are other problems in the States? California is having such a severe drought that they are almost out of drinking water…
oh very familiar with the problems here, the economic, social, and political worries me the most. For me to be without power for 6 hours would be crushing financially for what I do. My heart is there, I am not just convinced that it will work at this time for me.
It won’t……..for you!
then aagain , maybe i need to look more closely at the hours you are down there
It will work if you make it work. When I moved here in 2000 I came with plenty of money. By 2002 I was broke and in real bad condition as far as how I would survive. I decided I would not give up, and I would earn the money I needed, so I figured out how to do it. The point I am making is that I decided that I would make it no matter what, I got past the potential problems. Things were a lot worse back then too, not just a few brownouts.
Well we will try it anyway, and see how it goes. I really would like to make work from Cantilan. As soon as these boys of mine are in the military, we will do it. cha
At least you dont have to worry about your pipes freezing from lack of heat because the furnace does not run during a brownout. Here in New York, air con is always an option but heat in the winter is manditory. Good luck Bob
Ha ha.. that is so true, Bob Newyorkusa. 🙂
We are supposed tto see power bills dramatically increase before the end of Obamas term. I hope you dont see the same there. Ours has gone up an average of 33% since he took office.
Ours is already very high. I wold not mind paying more for stable power. Our bills here are about double the cost of Kilowatt hour compared to the average USA cost.
Bob,
Up here outside of Metro Manila with Meralco as the power company generation costs for us usually run only approximately 40% of the bill. The rest is all fees and taxes. I wonder if they’ve considered building cleaner burning natural gas rather than coal or diesel. I know whenever they raise the rates people are all up in arms protesting.
Same on our bills here, Randy, lots of added charges. On the natural dad, I think it comes down that there is readily available had supply near here, while coal is available right at the plant, easy to be mined, then burned.
ouch.. there must be a creative filipino solar company there somewhere, who could make it work financially
Solar energy is very expensive here.
hard to understand, with most of the panels in the market coming from China
if rates doubled here, solar and wind power business would soar
OK, but that is there, not here.
of course, just stating the market difference, i can,t understand why solar has to be so expensive there
Hi John Culbreth, your comment says you “CAN” understand why it is expensive. I think you meant to type “Can’t” instead of can. I can’t understand it either, I only know that it is very expensive. Why? No idea, but it is nearly so expensive that it is prohibitive.
Are we talking here about photovoltaic panels, and a bank of batteries, or about solar water heating?
All of the above, I would say. Any means of using the sun to power things.
But there’s a BIG difference. Photovoltaic panels are still very expensive anywhere in the world, or actually, I think it’s the battery bank needed that’s expensive. However, solar water heating is so common all over the world now, that it’s a viable option. Even in Europe, so how much more here! I’d be interested to know from others on this forum, what they do for hot water.
Hi John, we had solar hot water on a house we rented before. We liked it and checked into what it would cost to duplicate it in another house. Just for enough to supply hot water to a single shower was over $10k. Just too much in my view.
WOW! 10,000k!!! Too expensive for me also. Mine cost Php 35,000 for the whole house.
See what I mean? Now, that was about 7 years ago or so, so prices have probably come down a bit.
True. Things change so quickly nowadays! Hurts my head. Hehe!
The only constant in the world, John, is change! 😉
….and it gets more difficult as you get older!
yes looking at a price sheet now, only makes since if you are off the grid by location. Yes I fixed the typo
Yeah, everybody tells me that I should go solar… the cost is way too high. Also, since I am a renter, it would not make sense to install it for my landlord to own it.
looking at a filipino system that would pay for itself in about 5 years, i will send tthe link, but yes, you will always be faced with the renter problem
No need to send the link, I won’t be doing solar, so no need. Thanks, though.
I think most people oversize their generator, and drive up both capital and fuel costs.
Look at your power bill, and the total KW used per month.
A 3 to 3.5 will run most households and maybe one air con. You just have to make sure that when you start the air con that you dont have a lot of other things such as waterpumps, microwaves, and other big appliances running. Once your aircon starts, the power draw drops, and you can run other appliances. Big 7-10 k units are fuel pigs, and make too much noise.
Solar is not a good option in a hot climate- efficiency drops at high temps, so payback would be about 10 years, and cost per KW is too high.
For a good genset, go to Maysaysay St, Davao, you can get a 3-4 KW Honda for less than $1500. They are quiet, efficient, and reliable.
Dont waste your money on solar, or fall for the website hype.
Thanks for your advice, Bill, it sounds like you know more about this sort of thing than I do. I have a large house, with 10 people and my electric bills are high, I will research a bit more.
Suspect with summer upon us and El Nino around the corner all of Mindanao will have serious power issues .
Bob if married in pgoi I can file for 13 g visa at consulate in Davao is that correct to for the hassles of reneweing visitor visa or having leave countrty
sorry pi
I guess it be simpler to buy and read your book right lol?
That would be a problem, Alan Cline.
Hi Ray. No, you don’t apply for a visa at a consulate unless outside the Philippines. You apply at the bureau of immigration. Yes, it can be done in Davao, but make sure you bring all the documentation you need from the States otherwise you will have to go back home and get it. Most important is the police clearance.
Thanks I can get that before I leave thank you God bless what its cost do you remember?
Ray Madden, I just got my 13a Visa. It cost me Php11,800 plus Php 350 for the notary.
Cost of the visa or the police clearance?
Php11,800 for the visa!
Ray,
It’s quicker and with less hassle if you get it done at a Philippine Consulate or Embassy in the US. Only $150.00. You can download the application from the Consulate website.
We get 2 hour of brown out every day in Tacurong usually during the hottest part of the day, mid-afternoon.
Visa
Not fun, Leonard Hugster.
Set aside $500, Ray. You’ll be covered.
I wonder if Servel Refridgerators are available there ? These use propane gas for refridgeration so they would not be affected by brownours. I think they use Amonia for the refridgerant which is heated when needed by a propane flame. I saw a few of them here when I was a kid.
At times like this, a Servel could be a big seller in Mindanao and elsewhere.
Never heard of them, Bob. Seems like they would be a great thing here!
….So let’s hear from all you guys out there. What do you do for water heating?
John,
Right now until we move to Batangas heat water on the stove lol.
Do a websearch on them Bob. A company name ” Servel ” made them for many years. I don’t think they are in business any more but I think another company still makes them. I think there may also be propane operated Air Con units as well where Amonia is used as the refridgerant.
One thing I remember hearing about the refridgerators was that once in a while it could stop working. The fix was turn it upside down and then upright again. Propane refridgerators were also made for trailers and mobile homes.
There’s more than one way to always have a chilled San Mig available !
Link to a site about collectable vintage original Servel refridgerators. Servel may be gone now but I think someone else must be making them. Just the thing where electrical power is not always available.
http://vintageservelrefrigerators.8k.com/
There is more than one way to keep the San Mig chilled during a brownout. Anyone for a Servel ? http://vintageservelrefrigerators.8k.com/
http://www.gas-refrigerators.com/propane/servel-by-dometic.html
http://www.gas-refrigerators.com/propane/crystal-cold.html
http://www.gas-refrigerators.com/propane/servel-by-dometic/serveldometic-rge400-8-cubic-foot-propane-refrigerator.html
Forgive me Bob, as this is totally unrelated to your topic, or anyone else’s topic.
Just trying to find out, do they have storage lockers or any other type of place that might offer short term, secure place to store items, there in Davao. Just trying to figure out what I could do with things sent in a container, in the event we cant find a fairly decent house to rent before stuff might arrive there, when the time comes.
Thanks in advance!
Sorry Bill, there really are no such units in Davao or anywhere in the Philippines that I am aware of. I would suggest that you loofah for a bodega that someone will rent you.
So I,m clear that’s bureau of immigration of phillippines or usa?
Sent from Windows Mail
Bill;
For usually less than a thousand dollars you can by either the 20 or 40 foot container van, and when no longer needed to store items cut out windows and use as a workshop or other type of out building.
That’s a great idea, Paul, thanks for sharing that.
Hi Ray Madden – If applying in the Philippines, you go to the Bureau of Immigration (in the Philippines – they have branches in all major cities and many not-so-major cities/towns). If applying in your home country (USA or whatever country) you do that at the Philippine Embassy or Consulate that serves your area.
A couple of random FYI comments.
1) A solar power system tied to the grid cannot be operating during a power outage. It might cause anyone working on the lines to be electrocuted. You need a system of batteries to provide power during an outage; more cost.
2) For gasoline generators don’t use gasoline that contains ethanol. If the gasoline is sitting around for months, the ethanol can separate out of the gasoline. Then your generator won’t run properly. Use Petron’s Blaze 100 or Shell’s V-power gasoline. They do not contain ethanol.
Thanks for sharing your tips, Gary!
The same rule applies when using a generator you must shut off the incoming power to avoid frying the dude up the pole.
Frying the dude is never a good thing!
To all that were asking about the Solor Electric issues.
Here is what I found out: After many years of avoidance, Net Metering IS available in the Philippines in limited areas and complicated rules.
The main rule is that if you are under 100KW you fall under the net metering rules and thus only use power from the grid when your solar panels either don’t output, or low output/high demand, or its dark outside. Meralco for example will install TWO meters for this (Unlike in the states where the meter will run backwards when on Solar excess) and you PAY for what goes through the Meralco Meter, and the other meter will measure what you send into the grid as excess power to be credited to your billing. No batts needed, unless you want to go fully off grid.
However you still get to pay all the fringe costs associated with the Grid, which is approx 40-60% of the total bill anyway. System LOSS is the big item on most bills and this means is that YOU are paying for all the power theft that happens and transmission inefficiencies inherent in the system. Thank your stars that 110V is not involved, since that would make it MORE expensive…say amen.
Solar in the Philippines IS cheaper than it used to be, but nowhere near as low as elsewhere or what it could be . As an Example, the Solar panles made by Hitachi that are made right there in the Philippines at Subic are about 40% MORE expensive IN the Philippines than the same exact ones we can get in the states.
WHY? Politics and market share of course plus US is ABLE to pay a bit more, thus the market issue. One other reason is Tax Breaks and government incentives that pick up some of that extra cost so it only appears to be LOWER cost in the states for the most part.
other power companies in the Islands may have different schemes for Net Metering or if your over 100KW output what they call FIT. (Feed in Tarrif) All good deals if done right, all great setups IF done properly by a reliable and honest Solar company and IF you are in it for the long term. and of course have the Peso-nality to pay the startup costs.
The Masa / Hoi polloi are still, and for the foreseeable future at the mercy of the traditional and very political providors, so as Bob noted, one has to learn to deal with the brownouts etc.
Bob, does it make a difference or is it easier to apply for a 13A in the U.S. b/4 I go or in the Philippines?
Hi Philip Nell. I would say it is better to apply before coming, for a few reasons. Firstly, the Bureau of Immigration can be a bit slow, the embassy/consulate workload is better and/or they are more efficient. Also, if you get here and apply and don’t have the proper documents, it may require a trip back to the States to get what you need. This particularly applies to police clearances.
Thanks so much, will do.
Happy to help, Philip Nell
Bob, Solar energy is not expensive if the system is designed efficiently, and of course avoiding the unreliable stuff available currently on the market. Case in point, I took a picture of a solar home-lighting system (made in you guessed it, China!) distributed by CDR King. It was hilarious to see that they provided only a “1-WEEK WARRANTY”. I plan to post that on FB soon. I believe, you talked to my partner Sohrab yesterday. We would like to meet if possible when we come again in June. Have a tangible solution for the Philippines, affordable and also saves the environment.
Yet another piece where the comments are just as informative as the article itself. Thanks all! I’m soaking it up.
Take care,
Pete
Thanks, Pete.
This is the message that I have just sent to our illustrious mayor Roddy Duterte. It won’t get a reply but at leat he knows how I feel!!
: @RRD_Davao Yesterday we had a 4 hour and a 3 hour blackout. The one today is 2 hours and counting. Davao needs to sort out some electricity
Mayor Duterte is, in my opinion, a great man. As far as I can tell though, he does not have the power to make it rain, and that is what is needed for adequate electricity.
Oh, one other thing… There are multiple coal fired energy plants under construction, they simply are not yet complete.
The fact is though Bob, Davao is outgrowing its electricity supply. Why would business bother coming here?
I appreciate that you like Duterte, I do, but a very short sighted approach by politicians of all levels in the area has lead to the problem.
Duterte is the reason that I feel safe in Davao but it doesn’t put him or any other politician beyond criticism.
That is why I mentioned that new power plants are already under construction, and have been for several years.
It is really hard when the power is out. Brownout occurs in our city when there is a heavy rain.
The solar installs have started in Philippines, cost effective (don’t want to use the word cheap), reliable, distributed and effective in a country with so many distributed islands.
When there is heavy rain, the power grid WILL be affected and in come cases of excess flooding intentionally shut down for safety.
Simple 1kW to 5KW solar systems can be lifesavers at homes, public shelters and emergency clinics in addition to getting your electricity tariff down to near zero. Solar is available today – the power plants will take years, always be short and catching up on capacity, expensive and fail in foul weather.