Apr 15, 2013

I Hate General Santos City Brownouts

General Santos City, Philippines


I Hate General Santos City Brownouts

General Santos City in Mindanao, Philippines has been hurting from brownouts.  Power outages here in General Santos City used to be three hours.  Went up to four hours.  Now it is a total of an abominable seven hours
South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative (Socoteco 2) has been enforcing two sets of 3.5 hours of daily power outages in two groups within its area which covers General Santos, the whole of Sarangani and the towns of Tupi and Polomolok.  

Even though Socoteco 2 releases a schedule (check latest schedule here), it is very inconsistent.  I have even wondered if they even know their own schedule.  Does the person who makes the schedule coordinate with the person who cuts off the power?  The least Socoteco 2 could do is follow their schedule so we could work around it.

Clearly Mindanao’s power deficiency is caused by the lack of reserve and backup power-generation but despite the declining power supply, the city (officials?) still allowed big ticket companies to set up shop without considering the adequacy of Socoteco 2 to supply power.  Microtel by Wyndham already opened.  The seven hour brownouts could extend to more than eight hours (gasp!) as more big power consumers are opening this year, among them KCC’s Veranza Mall and Green Leaf Hotel across SM City Gensan.

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