INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
MANILA, Philippines — Some 1.3 million households will experience rotational brownouts this year due to the high fuel prices, energy officials said on Monday.
Department of Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said most affected will be in remote areas or the so-called “off-grid” areas.
“The price of diesel in the international market has been on the uptick since the last week or so and for the rest of the year, there are indications that unless there are economic developments in global areas, the prices of diesel will remain high,” he said in a press conference.
According to the National Power Corporation (Napocor), it would need P11.4 billion for the required 150,555 kiloliters of fuel to supply energy, but it only has an available budget of P7.5 billion, which only procured 100,608 kiloliters.
With this, Napocor said it will be forced to reduce the operating hours of its power plants to make the available fuel last until the end of the year, resulting in reduced power supply in some areas.
“It’s possible that there is no reduction in operating hours provided that Napocor will have the budget augmentation to procure additional fuel until the end of the year,” Napocor official Odette Rivera said in the same press briefing.
Napocor President Fernando Martin Roxas, meanwhile, assured that they would work on rationing the available fuel for the entire year.
“If we can only work together to manage rationing it will be better for everybody. Of course, Napocor will continue to do its best to garner additional funding. But at some point, right we have to be prepared to actually bear some of the cost,” he said. — Mae Anne F. Bilolo, intern