EDSA

(This column appears in today's edition of the Leyte-Samar Daily Express)

Hi there! It’s another week and (sigh! or is it huhuhu?) today is a working holiday (did I use the right term?). Why should there be no classes today? Let me see, for the students to understand and appreciate more the values (or lessons) of EDSA? I think I’m inclined to say yes to that. It seems most studes are at their best (read: alive and kicking) outside the classroom, or the campus for that matter. And what does that make of the rest of the ordinary working class mortals like you and me? That the EDSA anniversary (or the Monday designated for its commemoration, thanks to holiday economics) is just that – another ordinary day. Okey, I can already hear many of you saying I’m just whining about going to work today. (Smile, it’s a new week).

Don’t worry about today’s title, it’s not going to be an enumeration of historical facts. Well, the Cory fan in me says that it was one of THE moments in our history. Let me put it there. I can’t afford to debate on this. There are many things that EDSA 1 gave us. Forget about EDSA 2 and the multi-party system (I think I’d rather like the latter, it gives noise, color and much fun to the presidential polls). But then there is that Party- List thing that many are into and has made marginalized people out of a good number of elite or VIPs; or has made these VIPs and / or elite declare themselves as marginalized. Well, if being marginalized means being just that – well-connected, moneyed, not to mention well-heeled and good-smelling, then I won’t mind making myself marginalized. Oh well, one of the Palace spokespersons (with balde, palanggana and all) said that we just had to wait how the poll body will decide on that. Yun lang!

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The week with the City Mayor. Mayor Mel Sarmiento presided over the RDC-8 meeting which was held last Thursday at the Calbayog City Sports Center. Other activities which I managed to take note are: the People’s Day in Barangay Lonoy; the turn-over of the NEGO-KART Livelihood Fund to the Calbayog Riverview Vendors Association. The said ceremony had DOLE-8 RD, Atty. Forter Puguon in attendance. The City Mayor also received Judge Tagra, the newly-appointed judge of RTC Branch 32.

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Power Situation Update (as of February 17, 2010). Here’s an update I got from Belinda Sales Canlas of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines:

The Luzon grid is still under normal status with sufficient power reserves. This is despite the shutdown of one unit of Batangas Coal-Fired Plant (Calaca Unit 1) due to technical problems with plant equipment.

Meanwhile, to facilitate the connection of a newly installed transformer (TO5) at the San Jose Substation in Bulacan, the 500-kV San Jose-Tayabas Line 2 has been de-energized
while tapping of the high-voltage connector, testing and commissioning are ongoing. No customers are affected by the said line de-energization because the other line (Line 1) linking San Jose and Tayabas is still synchronized to the grid.

The Luzon grid also has enough power to export 120-150 MW to the Visayas. Said
exported power will help augment supply in the Visayas islands.

In Mindanao, most hydro-electric power plant units are still running with very limited capabilities due to the low water levels at reservoirs. Available capabilities of plants are as follows: Agus 1 (25 MW), Agus 2 (60 MW), Agus 4 (75 MW), Agus 5 (25 MW), Agus 6 (100 MW), Agus 7 (24 MW), and Pulangi (80 MW). Because of the generation deficiency, the total available hydro capability in Mindanao is only 389 MW out of the total rated capability of 982 MW.

And lastly this info, To our partners in the power industry:

May we kindly reiterate that NGCP as system operator, is responsible for transmitting high-voltage power from generators to distributors and operating the power system or grid in accordance with the Philippine Grid Code. NGCP does not own nor operate/maintain any power generation and distribution facilities.

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Let me give you something to smile about this week. It’s something I got from the internet (as usual) and written by somebody who obviously doesn’t like Villar, and well, the rest (or some) of the presidentiables:

MANO-A-MANO, Aquino vs. Villar... or knowing Manny, make that One on Three!!! Mr. C-5 has apparently accepted Noynoy's challenge to a One-on-One debate, but apparently, a lot of Money V.'s pals have a comment or two about his decision:
Alan Peter Cayetano: "Puwede ako mag-SALING PUSA?"
Nene Pimentel: "Hindi, Alan, bawal ang INSERTIONS!"
Gilbert Remulla: "I'm not PRIVY to that, Sen. Pimentel."
Bro. Eddie: "Aba, akala niyo kayo lang? May 1-on-1 din kami ni Nick Perlas. Hmmph!"
Gibo and Edu: "Huh? Di kami kasali? Bitter na kami. Parang kape."
Jamby: "Vegetarian ako. Basketball ba yan One on One na yan? Hmmm.... Corruption yan, Corruption!!!"

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This is it for now. Have a nice week everyone! Ciao!