These days, living in Mindanao is a bit tougher than it was just a few months ago. Frankly, the Island is on the verge of being powerless… in other words, without electricity. I wrote a couple weeks ago how Mindanao was on the verge of having to resort to rotating brownouts, and it came to pass shortly after I wrote that article.
Why is there no power? Mostly, the reason is because of a lack of water, caused by El Nino. The vast majority of power in Mindanao comes from Hydroelectric sources, primarily from Maria Christina Falls in Iligan City, and from hydro sources along the Pulangi River (also known as the Rio Grande de Mindanao) in Bukidnon. Because the world is experiencing another El Nino weather patter this year, much of the Philippines is experiencing a severe drought.
A drought like we are having is bad for all of the Philippines, but it hit’s Mindanao harder when it comes to electricity, because Mindanao is more dependent on hydro generated power than the other islands. I have been following on the news that the Northern part of Luzon is particularly hard hit when it comes to irrigation for rice farmers and such, but at least they still have electricity up there, or have more than we do down south in Mindanao.
The bad news is that the electricity situation is getting much worse now. Each day, it seems to worsen. Local newspaper reports say that if we don’t get rain within the next 70 days or so, our currently supply of electricity will be cut in half, because two major power sources will have to be idled at that point. And, we are already in dire straits in terms of electricity, I can’t imagine if we lose half of what we have right now.
I have a group of folks in different areas around Mindanao who keep me informed of the power situation where they are. Thankfully, here in Davao, we are not in nearly the situation that much of the rest of Mindanao is currently in, and I feel really sorry for those folks. Let’s have a look at what typical electricity situations are in key Mindanao Cities right now:
- Davao City: Two hour rotating brownouts. Brownouts are not daily in every location, but are a few times per week in most places.
- General Santos City: Three hour brownouts three times per day. In other words, basically every area in General Santos goes for 9 hours per day with no electricity now.
- Cagayan de Oro: Five hour rotating brownouts daily, once per day in each location.
- Mati, Davao Oriental: Brownouts up to 12 hours at a time, daily.
- Koronadal, South Cotabato: Brownouts up to 10 hours at a time, daily.
- Butuan City: Multiple 2 to 3 hour brownouts every day.
- Zamboanga Peninsula: Daily brownouts of up to 18 hours at a time.
So, as you can see, the situation is not good, and is predicted to get worse as time goes by.
As I said earlier in the article, if we don’t get rain in the next 2+ months, the situation will go much worse than it is now. Problem is that at this time of the year, even during normal cycles, we do not generally get much precipitation, so it is doubtful that we will be seeing much rain anytime soon.
So, what are the options? Well, they are not that good. For the government, there is talk of purchasing some diesel burning barges to generate temporary electricity. This is probably the best short-term fix for the crisis. For longer term fixes, there are several coal-fired plants being proposed for Mindanao. Yesterday, a Congressman proposed that the Philippines build a Nuclear plant. I personally, feel that Nuclear is something that will be an energy solution for the future. Even President Obama is proposing nuclear generation for the USA now, something that he did not support in the past. But, building a nuclear plant is something that will take years, and we already have a serious crisis in Mindanao as I type this (hoping that the power doesn’t die on me while typing!).
It would seem that this would be an ideal time to put in place some shorter term solutions, and then pursue some long term greener solutions like Sun, Wind and perhaps other methods. So far, I don’t see that happening, or even being discussed much at all. Perhaps the reason is cost, but some of the things being suggested are also very costly, so that would seem to put some of these more eco-friendly generation possibilities into play, but it seems not. What I will say is that when it comes to doing something to address the energy future of Mindanao, I see a lot of talk, and no action yet. Something needs to be done, and quickly. Given that elections are about 2 months away, it would seem likely that nothing will be done, though, and it will be left on the plate for the next President to address. Problem is, I don’t know where we will stand two months from now, let alone the extra time that will be needed for any new President to get things into place and address the issue. That could be a year from now before the situation gets even serious consideration. Mindanao cannot wait a year, unless the rain starts falling.
To show how serious the situation is, a number of businesses in different parts of Mindanao are already considering simply closing up shop, because they cannot operate the business with no electricity. This does not bode well for Mindanao.
It will take the cost of oil getting so high that Solar, Wind, and Wave power will then be cost effective. My son-in-law’s 10 hector rice farm has no water and the land (Rice Patties) are sitting fallow until the rainy season. His one hector fish farm is drying up and he had to harvest the fish early (this last weekend) to try and save the farm. It going to be a tough situation throughout the Philippines this year, unless we have a good rainy season that starts early, we can only hope!
You are right, Paul, that it will take oil returning to the kind of prices we saw a couple years ago.
One problem down here is that we don’t usually have a very defined wet and dry season. Usually, our weather remains fairly constant all 12 months, and there is not any rain right now…
There are other rivers in Mindanao that could be developed for power. The Odiongan river near Gingoog has been looked at by engineers from several countries over the last 15 years, and proposals made. Why no power plant? Because the big-wigs in town kept it from going through. Why? Ecocogy? No. Because each of the big-wigs wanted to be the one who made the money on the project, to they all blocked it. If I can’t have the money, nobody can. That ‘crab-like attitude’ rears it’s ugly head. In the meantime, we still need power, and the people who could use the jobs are unemployed. China was that last country to look the thing over and they were willing to come in and build it with their money! How many other places has this happened over the years to produce this problem?
Hi AmericanLola – Yes, you are so right on that. There is talk right now of doing several hydroelectric projects in the Davao region. One of the problems with this kind of stuff, though, is that it should have been tackled five years ago, because if they do it now, it will be years before it goes online. But, for sure, something must be done.
bob, have you considered writing on a laptop? this way, when the power goes, your laptop doesn’t shut down. i work on one and the outages don’t affect me (battery life is 7-8 hrs) except for the loss of A/C and net.
initially, the brownouts news left me quite unsettled and i questioned having to move to a country that will affect my work (email/work submissions) … but the wiser person in my marriage told me to relax, see the pluses, and just go out and exercise at the gym or have a coffee break. trying to see the bright side of unplugging. of course, this logic only applies to davao outages. i would be steaming if it hit 8 hrs (or collapsing in fatigue at a gym treadmill near you).
Hi macky – I used to do all my writing on a laptop before recently buying that new Atom based PC. But, I had some trouble with the display on my laptop, and decided to make the switch. Probably, now, I will be looking into buying a UPS, which will effectively give me the same protection.
Yeah, I’m with you, I can handle the 1 or 2 hour brownouts that we get in Davao. If we had the 9 to 12 hour brownouts that much of Mindanao was getting, I’d have to be looking at other alternatives, no doubt. Got any extra space on that treadmill? 😆
Having a UPS can come in handy for more than just the PC Bob. I have a couple of them here and I don’t even use them for the PC ( I don’t really do any sensitive work on my pc’s like you do ). I don’t have many ” Blackouts ” here although occasionally trees fall over on the power lines and break them or a drunk driver runs into a utility pole.
With those compact flourescent bulbs being so cost effective these days, you can keep one or more of those going for hours on a fully charged, average capacity UPS ! I have a couple of ” APC ” brand UPS units here that I use for that purpose. It might be interesting to note that on a small sticker on the bottom of these APC brand UPS units it says ” Made In Philippines ” !
Hi Bob – I agree with you, and I fully expect that I will be investing in a UPS or two shortly. I didn’t know that APC (one of the leading brands) was made in the Philippines!
Good Morning Sir Bob – My wife, Baby and I are seriously considering moving to a Hotel during this time or leaving Mindanao and moving to Luzon temporarily during this crisis. Our lease expires at the end of March so the timing is excellent. Also my 71 year old Mother is coming to visit for 4 months and I certainly don’t want to expose her to this hardship so the chances are we wil move to someplace with a more relaible source of electricity or an affordable resort that has back-up generator. We are thinking Tagaytay where it is very cool and liveable without air con or perhaps Cebu, Dumaguete, Bacolod…..Just don’t know yet. Anyone have any ideas would be appreciated
Hi richard – I can’t say that I blame you on that. For us, we are somewhat tied here, with the kids in school and such, and having a large family to consider, such a move would be troublesome. That said, I can’t deny that I have had thoughts of the same thing. Last night, Feyma and I were talking about this, and she told me that if things get bad in Davao, I might have to move to Manila myself to keep our businesses going. With having our businesses online, we certainly need electricity to keep operating. Some reading this might think that we are crazy, or fear mongers… but this is truly how bad the situation is in Mindanao right now. Contingencies must be considered.
Hi Bob,
Well, I’m certainly up on what happening with the power in Central Mindanao…my wife is still living there with her parents in Quezon. They now have about 8 hour brownouts there, though it doesn’t impact them too much, since the only electricity they use is a couple of lightbulbs and the TV/Stereo. I don’t think this is directly impacting people living in rural areas like that, since they don’t use much electricity to begin with. Though, since they are all farmers, the drought is certainly having a serious impact. And of course, if businesses start moving out, that is going to have serious, long term consequences for the overall economy as well.
BTW, I think I would skip Manila as a fallback location…the Visayas seem the be in the best shape as far as power goes right now, I think. They have some brand new power plants coming on line right now (coal fired), so I think that part of the Philippines is OK. I’d much rather be in Cebu than Manila anyway. Cheers.
Hi rc – Yeah, I am not set on any certain fallback location, I just mentioned Manila because that is what Feyma mentioned to me. In the end, if such a drastic measure was necessary, I would have to study where the best place would be. Cebu is a place that I do like.
Hi Bob,
The lack of reliable electricity will have a very negative effect on the growth prospects for Mindanao. Mines and factories use huge amounts of hydro and cannot operate without reliable power.
Most power plants take years of planning and building before they come online. This requires politicians to earmark funds for a project that won’t be up and running until possibly after they’ve been voted out of office. So politically it might make more sense to use the funds to have short-term make-work projects that get them re-elected. You’re experiencing their short-sightedness! El Nino doesn’t happen every year but growth in population does along with increasing demands by the general population for refrigerators and air-cons.
I would like to know if supposing you had a gasoline power generator,
would you still be able to get internet access if there was a brownout? Does a brownout also cut off the internet service providers as well?
Thanks.
Hi Randall – What you say about planning ahead, population growth and such is certainly 100% correct, no argument can be made otherwise.
On the Internet access, well, it depends. If there is a brownout at the offices of the Internet provider, there is a good chance that you won’t be able to get online, even if you have a generator. Remember, the brownouts are rolling ones, that affect different parts of town at different times, it’s not the whole city at the same time. So, it all depends on where the brownouts are happening.
Bob would you move to Manila alone or the whole family? I would hate to think of you not being in Davao. Good Luck with this stuff-I don’t know what to say that would make anything better. Maybe we can send some Native American Indians to do a few rain dances. Ron
Hi Ron – The situation would have to get really, really bad before I would even consider the Manila option, and the severity of the situation would determine who all would go to Manila. But, what Feyma and I talked about is that I would go to Manila and the rest of the family would remain here. But, if it was bad enough, I suppose anything could happen.
The government of the Philippines, and some Provincial government units have already started doing some cloud seeding, but so far it has not been effective. I, personally am not a big believer in that kind of thing anyway, but I guess at this point try anything. Indians.. why not? 😆 If it would help for a white man to go dance in the streets, I’m game! 😉
Hi Bob- During this time we can count ourselves lucky that there is only the two of us.If we had young children it would be a big problem for sure.When we moved here in 2008 I brought a small generator should power cuts become a problem,so far I have not had to use it this time.We like many others have had to adapt to keeping stocks of refrigerated goods to the low side and Marilou has to visit the market more frequently.Bless her, she keeps reminding me that when she was young and growing up in Talakag they had neither electricity or running water and she is still around to tell the tale.
Hopefully things will improve sooner rather than later and just maybe this is the “Old Man” upstairs reminding us who is in control.
Regards.
Jim.
Hi Jim – Ha ha… maybe it is the man upstairs… maybe it’s the small lady up north in Manila! 😆 You just never know.
Yes, if Feyma and I were alone without children, the situation would be a bit different. Also, the fact that our businesses, which is our source of income, require electricity and an internet connection. Well, life presents challenges, it is up to us to deal with them and find the best solution. Right now, I am just thankful that Davao has been affected much less than other parts of Mindanao.
Hi Bob
Many people were predicting a crisis like this was going to happen, except that now it is being caused by the El Nino effect. I think this was set in motion back when Ramos made all those contracts with the IPP’s, there was a lot accusations that whey were overpriced (that is why electricity costs are so high in the Philippines compared to other Asian countries) and a lot of corruption in those agreements. I think Estrada and GMA were a bit gun shy to make similar agreements and be accused of the same type of courruption (that didn’t stop them from being corrupt in other areas). I know that a GMA official, Perez most likely received a huge payday for signing an agreement with an Argentianian power company. When officials made the case for building more power plants certain people accused them of only wanting to make money off these contracts and that there was a surplus of electricity capacity which the consumers had to pay for because of the contracts made during the Ramos years.
I do see some bright spots, there are a lot more players in the power generation market espcially San Miguel and First Pacific who are capable of investing large amounts of money into building new power plants and infrastructure that goes along with it.
Hi Neil – You are so right, in fact, back in 2005 or 2006, I wrote an article on my Mindanao Magazine site about how a power shortage was looming for Mindanao in “about 5 years” – sorry to say that my prediction came true. I wish I were wrong.
Hi Bob,
3 years ago I proposed using micro hydro in my barrangay. I calculated that the stream that runs into my community had enough fall to generate 85 HP (63.38 kilowatt), before it reached the first house.
This would be enough power to power at least the first 3 puroks, perhaps the entire barrangay, virtually for free.
This was a “no go” as there is no funding for such a system and I did not have funds to install one out of the goodness of my heart either.
Aneco is the provider and it is illegal to use their system, even when the power is off.
As we speak, the next city is installing a water pipe from the stream I suggested to have a more constant water supply. Included in this plan are 2 tanks to drain off excess pressure, one at the base of the hill and one near the main water distribution point. So, at the top of the hill there is a new pond, there is a 4″ pipe running down to the first tank where, a 8″ pipe runs to the distribution tank.
Now, in this time of power shortages, does it not seem like a good idea to allow a generator at the top of the first tank? The water will enter the tank exactly the same as if it just swished around inside the tank.
I asked the captain of the next Barrangay about it.
The reply. “that would violate our memorandum of understanding with the owner of the land where the water is collected”.
Could I see that “memorandum”, no, it is confidential.
Yet another rant by Abu Farsi
Hi Abu Farsi – We are all entitled to our rants! Ha ha… maybe they should put that in the Constitution! 😆
Your plan sounds like it was ahead of it’s time!
Brownout schedules have been posted on the internet for Iligan and CDO and maybe other major areas as well. I recently read that an idle deisel power plant in or near Iligan has been reactivated although in the big picture that will be like a drop in the bcuket power wise.
It is easy to understand how lack of electrical power can put a big dent into the overall economy of Mindanao in its entirety.
I have also read where attempts at seeding the clouds is also being done.
Possibly nuclear is the only way of insuring power for the future although that is a long range plan. I am not far from a nuclear power plant here in New York, fortunately it has never been a problem regarding unsafe radiation leakage although there has been much criticism of it.
Good luck to all of you being affected by these brownouts. I wonder if there are many incidents of sensitive electronic items like PC, TV etc. being damaged from electrical spikes when power is turned back on ?
Hi Bob – While I am happy that the power companies have tried to keep people informed through their websites, unfortunately, the schedules have been pretty useless. A number of my friends in Iligan have been complaining a lot that the posted schedules are not accurate, unfortunately.
I advocate nuclear energy, I feel it is the most reliable, cleanest and safest thing we can turn to. I believe the time has come for nuclear. Even the USA, which has been very anti-nuclear for decades now is beginning to look at adding additional nuclear capacity.
Hi Bob – Yes, nuclear is the best possible choice, even in the US. Unfortunately, the Luddite mentality in the US toward nuclear energy has a steep price…takes at least 10 years to bring one on line in the US (and who knows what will happen in 10 years).
I imagine it would take even longer in the Philippines. A move toward nuclear should have been started a decade ago. Unfortunately, nobody thinks about these things as long as the lights are burning…these ideas only happen during brownouts 🙂
Hi rc – I wholeheartedly agree!
Bacolod had almost a 10 hour brownout yesterday. Went out about 8AM Phil time while talking to my fiancee before she went to work. We talked again on the phone around 1PM Phil time while she was at work, with no power and she said that it was to come back on at 5PM and it was around that time when it did. Power has been fine today for her though. It is one of the longer outages there in quite awhile.
Have no idea if it is tied to the power outages in Mindanao. Could have been to transfer some there but I don’t know.
Hi LJ – Sorry to hear that they suffered brownouts too… but I don’t think it is related to the situation in Mindanao.
Hi Bob – If they call electricity outages “Brownouts,” would they then call internet outages “Bro-outs”? 😆
Would have gladly taken a five hour brownout in place of the 36 hour loss of internet connectivity this past weekend. “System upgrades” in the area – maybe so. Things appear better; time will tell.
But, what good is electricity if you can’t use it to fire up the PC and read LiP? 😯
Hi Paul – for a one time thing, I agree, I’d rather a 5 hour brownout than a 36 hour internet outage. But, if we are talking 12 hours a day, every day of the week of brownouts… well, personally, I’d go without internet! I wouldn’t like it, but I like my aircon, refrigerator and such more than I like Internet! 😆
Oh definitely a “One Time Only” offer on that exchange.
Aside from the creature comforts we’ve all learned to love and depend on, some of us also use electricity to pump our water. Nothing like reverting back to the pails full of water all over the house, two in the CRs and showers, and our little friend, Mr. Tabo-tabo. It’s enough to do so during typhoons! 😆
Mmm hmm… that’s what I thought! 😯
we get brownout here with no worning …from 4 – 20 hours “oh well” at least my electric bill is lower now days still but still happy in the philippines ..battery powered laptop helps ….Phil n Jess
Hi Phil – Unfortunately, I can’t just say “oh well” – I have things that I need power for, not the least of which is my business. I hope things get better soon, although it is not looking that way, unfortunately.
Hi Bob
It seems with all the Sunshine you have in RP that you would use Solar power in your homes and become independent of the electric companies. Yes, if you buy panels already made it would be costly but if you Do It Yourself, (DIY) it would be at least a 50-60% savings. Everything you need for these systems can be purchased from China through the Internet. The only problem I see in RP is the corruption with customs with getting the parts through.
I put in solar panels on my house here in the USA last year. A DIY project not because of brownouts but because of cost for electricity. I built 8 – 60 watt panels, not difficult just a little knowledge of soldering, at the cost of approximately $450 usd. You can always add more if you need more amperage to run your home. Then of course you need a charge regulator, AC inverter and 8 – 12 volt deep cycle batteries for your storage bank and you can add more for more storage capacity. You put in a few outlets around your home separate from your electrical service you have now and when you have a brownout just switch to solar. Total cost of approximately $1500 usd. I can run 3 days on my Solar system with no electric backup and that is running my Ref, lights, computer and 3 TVs in my home cutting my electric bill by 2/3 per month. I have a friend in Tagum City that is doing this now with his home there because of the brownouts they are having.
Just a thought
I agree with Charlie and I am suprised that no one else replyed to your post. Even though I live in Alaska now, me and the wife will be retiring to the Manila area or Tagatay area someday and we’ve talked about bilding a house there and one of the first and most important parts of the house will be putting in solar panels. I don’t want to be tied or a slave to the electric company if at all possible and with the talks about brownouts and blackouts I have no desire to be worried about them either.
I know I’m not there now but it would seem to me that the solar option is almost a no brainer, I know that there are cost but in the long run (and this don’t seem like a situation that is going to go away any time soon) the solar option seems to be the best, smartest fix, especally there in PI on the equator. The rain will stop, the wind will stop, but in PI the sun always shines, there may be clouds the even then it’s still light out. I may sound niave because I’m not there, but if I am, set me straight. I’d rather hear it now than after I go there and start spending money on something I don’t need.
I think you are on track, Ed. I think the key is, though… will you own your home, or rent. I strongly advise renting at first, for at least a couple of years, and I don’t think that as a renter, installing solar is advisable.
Hi Charlie – I agree that solar is a good option right now. In my case, I rent my home, and thus, it is not really feasible for a renter to put in solar power, and then end up having to leave it behind when he moves out. For somebody who owns his home, though, I consider this a good option.
Hi Bob,
A “non-permanent” solar installation is easy to install. It can lay on the ground, porch, or hang in the trees, as long as the panels are open to the sunlight. As long as the electrical connections are solid, the panels will generate electricity, which will charge 12 volt batteries. Sailboats use flexible solar panels which you can even walk on. Lots of options after you have your 12 volt batteries topped up – laptops plug into any 12 volt source. Desktops run on 5 volts or through an inverter. A modest investment would give you hours of computing time, but you might have to drink warm soda!
Hi John – If I were to do solar, I would want a permanent installation, not something that had a bunch of loose wires laying around and that kind of thing. If I were single, maybe… but with a house full of kids, this just is not practical. And, BTW, having the ability to turn on and use a computer is worthless, though, if the Internet Provider is offline due to no power! 😆
With the abundance of sun light and recent price drops on solar cells, I would think the logical answer was to give serious consideration to becoming self sufficient. Install some solar panels, get an inverter and some deep cycle batteries and brownouts would become a thing of the past. Considering electricity rates in the Philippines are roughly twice what they are in the U.S., you could recoup your investment in half the time.
Hi David – I will likely do that if the day comes when I decide to build a home, or buy one. For something like this, home ownership is the first step, IMHO.
Hi Bob,
Geezeee, el Nino is really putting you folks between a rock and a hard place! Sad to say, but el Ninos usually last at least a year, some times a little longer. And to think I got ticked off last week that my power went off for a micro-second here in Florida, just long enough that I needed to reset the time setting on my microwave and digital telephone!
I would endorse Charlie and all the other post above that suggest solar panels might be the way to go. I researched this about a year ago and kept coming across people making statements like, ” Too much rain in the Philippines to use solar panels”. Well, in hind sight, they seemed to be dead wrong in that assumption. Clearly, the pay-back time is in favor of the installer now, with little to no rain and much more sun shine.
Talking about bringing more power plants on line is a little far-fetched. That usually take years, some times 20 or more years to accomplish and by the time a politician pushes that thru they will be long out of office. It might be a different story if Manila started to experience major brownouts, however.
Even a generator is not going to be a long term solution. Money for gas and maintenance would be like pouring money down the drain. Solar panels, on the other hand, would slowly pay for themselves, and be relatively maintenance free. Additionally, if you found out you were not getting enough juice, just add more panels.
–Rich–
Hi Rich – Yes indeed, we really are between a rock and a hard place with power in Mindanao. Luckily, Davao has been impacted less, because Davao has diesel generating capacity, but it is not enough to power the City completely, so some brownouts are still experienced. Other cities, though, are in really bad shape. There is even talk about the island going black altogether.
Unfortunately Bob believe you are right about it getting worse & todays article in Gold Star Daily of Cagayan de Oro relates some info shared by power distributor to local business men .
As of Monday, the grid curtailment for regional power distributors stood at 699.04 megawatts (MW), which is already below critical level . “If it reaches 698.15 MW, a total blackout will definitely happen”.
As of now we are on 5hr rotating schedule for power outage but some of us also have an additional 5 hr lack of tv & internet that use local cable company & for us it’s always 10 hrs straight . No one offers discount , of course , because its an act of God . ( The rain maybe , but not the lack of building new power plants )
Most stable power situation seems to be in Cebu as they pull 40% of their requirement from geo-thermal so not as dependent on rain as Mindanao . Gensets are selling fast but not everyone can afford them , including businesses here . Many facilities will have to shut down completely because their machines won’t operate if power is reduced by to large a % . Loss of jobs , etc does not paint a pretty picture .
Hi alan – I heard from AmericanLola the other day, she lives in CdO also. She told me that the power company advised her a few days ago that if there is no rain soon, there will “always be brownouts” which I interpreted as meaning full time brownouts – in other words no power at all. Wow! Things don’t sound good over there. From the sounds of what you are saying, we are already very close to that scenario.
Good morning – Well we have narrowed our temporary move to either Cebu or Dumaguete. Both are nice places with very good infastructure and are economical places. I think we may lean to Dumaguete as it is smaller has a reputation for very good restaurants and a number of good pre schools for my daughter. Also relaible power and internet. Can you beleive that one part of Dumaguete called “Valencia” gets it power from geothermal sources and the residents of that particular community pay very, very litte for their power. All in all I think it will be a good pick for us. Going on an advance trip this Friday to look around.
Hi richard – I have heard both good and bad things about Dumaguete. I already know I like Cebu, because I have been there many times. Whatever turns out to be your temporary home, I wish you the best!
Bob may I ask what you have heard (bad)negative about Dumaguete.
thanks
Hi richard – Well, since I have never been there, I don’t really like to say bad things about the place, because I don’t know for sure. So, I will qualify my statement by saying first that I have never been to the place, and this is not my judgment. One thing that I have heard from a number of people is that there are a number of places where the town smells very bad. I don’t know what the source of the odor is, but that is what I have been told by several different people. I have also heard that the amenities there are very limited, given that it is a small town. On the other hand, I have talked to some people who really love it there. I personally would like to go check it out one of these days, but have not had a chance to do so yet.
Hi Bob,
Of four places I have chosen to maybe settle in the Philippines, Dumaguete ranks number 2. Everything is booming there, and as for the smells there were lots – good food, flowers, ocean, etc. I love the town.
Hi John – I’m glad that you found several places that you liked a lot. Like I said, I have not been to Dumaguete, so I was only passing along (reluctantly) things that I have been told.
http://www.ngcp.ph/
Hi Bob ,
So far here in Bohol power supply has been very reliable,only had a few short brown outs.Also sending you link to The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) web site.
Ralph
Hi Ralph – Glad to know that Bohol still has the lights on! I hope we are able to keep the lights on here in Davao as well! Much of Mindanao is already in the dark, unfortunately. Thanks for sending the link.
Before we went home last week , we stayed in Manila.
No browb-outs at all.
And in the night along Roxas boulevard [ for kilpmeters ] there are big
lightslantarn with at the top uges colored lightsballs.
The only thing they do is spoil electric , because there are only a few people and no tourists there.
It,s unbelievebel ,
specially if you walk 150 meters to the side , the streets are dark ,
except the girl-bars , and mothers with little baby,s sleep
on the streets .
It,s a shame.
Hi Anton – A few weeks ago, maybe a month ago, brownouts were widely affecting Luzon and Mindanao. Not so much in the Visayas, I think. Now, though, it is mostly just a Mindanao problem. Sure, other places have brownouts and always have, but I am talking about systemic brownouts that are scheduled, and are daily, even many times per day. It’s a sad thing!
I agree, the kind of scene you describe is a real shame, and a waste!
I noticed the brownouts getting worse. I have one here at the dorm like every other day. Thankfully not everyday, but its seems more are happening as more time passes. Davao City is very developed, and seems to act on its own in many ways. It is on the coast and beside a river. Couldn’t things be built from those? This city could be a good jewel in the crown of Mindanao for production as I see it (like how GenSan is the main place for tuna).
How does this effect your online buis? I know it shuts off the power online. For me, I have 2 laptops (though one is too limited on power the way it is, that, its not worth turning on when unplugged). Seems they could be good back ups but still no net. Haha. What about them phones that provide net on em.
Hi Jawz – Indeed, the brownouts in Davao are getting worse. They recently doubled the time – they used to be just one hour, now they are 2 hours. Also, they are getting more frequent. Look for the situation to get much worse too, before it gets better.
I believe Charlie’s comments yesterday on the economics of solar are right on! I put some pictures of a self sufficient house on the Big Island of Hawaii on one of my web sites here:
http://www.computerodyssey.com/solar/solar.htm
From these, you can get an idea of the scales involved.
It’s nearly 5AM here so I better turn in, but check out this one for retail prices in the US:
http://www.solarpanelstore.com
…and this one for a guy providing a nominally priced DVD to show you how to build your own:
http://www.thesolarguitar.com/
If the materials to build these things can be moved to the RP without giving up all the profit to the “Gatekeepers,” assembling them there could be something to get serious about.
Hi James – I also believe that solar is a good move. But, when you are renting a house.. it just is not something you can do.
I understand. However, it is possible to put together a small, portable setup, one that might only provide you with emergency computing and lighting. It wouldn’t be pretty; probably include a wire dangling from your roof into a window attached to a panel held in place with a cement block! But it COULD be portable.
On the solar business angle, the “Big Boys” are busy in Sto. Tomas…
http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20100309-257678/FPHC-unit-expanding-facility
I wonder if we can buy stock in this company? 🙂
Hi James – the type of installation you describe is of absolutely no interest to me. Sorry… with a house full of kids and such… well, that just won’t be practical for me.
hey Bob you can allways take the solar with you when you move ..You don’t have to hook it up to be perment…most panels are easy to pack up an move …Phil n Jess
My understanding would be that there is more to solar power than just panels. You would also have to basically change things in the house to run on the voltage provided through the batteries, etc. Maybe I’m wrong, I don’t know. What I do know, though, is that a temporary solution is not for me at all.
Bob, Phil,
This site is the picture[s] worth a thousand words. It focuses more on adapting human exercise to electricity generation, but if you scroll to near the end, you’ll see that provisions are made to include a solar panel in the mix. I’ve taken the first step and purchased a Bell Bicycle Trainer like the one pictured. This guy is a little pricey, so I’ll be trying to build my setup from other sources. E.G., I’m persuaded that a motorcyle generator/voltage regulator hooked to the Duracell inverter pictured will work as well as what’s being sold.
Bob, my main purpose for posting this link is so you won’t be discouraged from considering a low end emergency setup like this. The bike isn’t necessary either. Just hook a solar panel to the Duracell and be prepared for the brownouts. As you can see, if you move, this will be one of least troublesome things you’ll have to pack.
P.S. Farmers in Hawaii have 10 inch square panels strapped to 12 volt car batteries keeping their electric fences hot. And “hot” they are; I learned the hard way!
http://pedalpowergenerator.com/#FREE
Interesting to see that nuclear energy is getting bandied around by certain scions of political families. I wonder if this power crisis or the lack of development isn’t hampered on purpose certain players. I definitely am against nuclear energy for the country. Where on earth are you going to dump radioactive wastes?
Geothermal and wind power are the best options. Lots of geothermal energy and wind can sustain many windmills in many places. No waste.
Hi AlexB – Nuclear energy production produces a very small amount of waste, and yes it must be addressed, but that is not a huge problem. Much of the world is now embracing nuclear energy as the energy of the future, and I think the Philippines would be wise to do so as well. Of course, I understand that we all have our own preferences.
One of the problems with GeoThermal and Wind is that they are subject to the sames kinds of problems that Hydro is having now in Mindanao. Sometimes the wind doesn’t blow.. di ba?
Mmm…you may be right but I wouldn’t put one on a very geologically unstable place, plus who knows those fuel cells might just end up in some junk shop on Gandara St. in Manila. Geothermal, lots of them, typhoon or no typhoon, with el nino or la nina. From what I read the only island that doesn’t have a volcano is Palawan. As for wind power, well, I think, one should worry more about the typhoons or earthquakes knocking them down. Iceland has the highest usage of geothermal energy 87% of heat/hot water, 24% of total energy; Denmark highest wind energy production, and solar energy, Germany. All of the these are readily available in the country, without the threat of a nuclear disaster.
Hi Alex – In my mind, the best solution is a mix of different solutions. Never put all of your eggs in just one basket! 😆
True Bob. The prob is not the supply of resources, but the production. With local (only) resources available, one wonders. Good luck with the brown outs.
Tidal generators are good too. Especially in Bays like around Mati. But if I were there I would be hooking up temporary solar gadgets and exercise-generator bikes like crazy.
Hi Jonaky – your idea about tidal generators is a good one, and I think it would be great in Davao. Just want to clarify that Mati is not only on a bay, it is also directly on the Pacific Ocean.
Yes Bob, and Hi there, I was thinking of that long narrow kind of inlet West of where Mati is, don’t know the name of it.
Or I should say tidal generators OUGHT to be good too. Don’t really know how far that line has been tried yet. But MASSIVE and completely permanent power source?