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| Bills Unpaid, Power Is Cut to Province in Philippines | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| MANILA — A Philippine province of 1.2 million people was without electricity for more than a day after the corporation that runs the national grid cut it off over $92 million in unpaid bills, officials said. | MANILA — A Philippine province of 1.2 million people was without electricity for more than a day after the corporation that runs the national grid cut it off over $92 million in unpaid bills, officials said. |
| All residential, government and corporate accounts in the province, Albay, south of Manila, lost power at noon on Tuesday. An estimated 160,000 households went dark, hospitals turned to emergency generators and much commercial activity ceased. | All residential, government and corporate accounts in the province, Albay, south of Manila, lost power at noon on Tuesday. An estimated 160,000 households went dark, hospitals turned to emergency generators and much commercial activity ceased. |
| The Philippines has struggled for decades to reliably generate, supply and manage electricity, grappling with a welter of power companies that have merged or disappeared into others. Blackouts and cutoffs remain common in remote and poor areas. | The Philippines has struggled for decades to reliably generate, supply and manage electricity, grappling with a welter of power companies that have merged or disappeared into others. Blackouts and cutoffs remain common in remote and poor areas. |
| The government has worked to make the power system more efficient through a variety of privatization measures, handing broad responsibility to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, created in 2008. But some local power companies have been mismanaged, troubled by corruption and burdened by disputed debt from earlier incarnations. Power supply remains unreliable in many parts of the country, and politically connected clients often leave their bills unpaid with impunity. | The government has worked to make the power system more efficient through a variety of privatization measures, handing broad responsibility to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, created in 2008. But some local power companies have been mismanaged, troubled by corruption and burdened by disputed debt from earlier incarnations. Power supply remains unreliable in many parts of the country, and politically connected clients often leave their bills unpaid with impunity. |
| The National Grid Corporation, with the cooperation of the Energy Department, appears to be taking a new hard line on unpaid bills. In early July, the city of Olongapo, north of Manila, narrowly averted being disconnected over unpaid debt. | The National Grid Corporation, with the cooperation of the Energy Department, appears to be taking a new hard line on unpaid bills. In early July, the city of Olongapo, north of Manila, narrowly averted being disconnected over unpaid debt. |
| Power was restored to Albay on Wednesday at 5 p.m. after Carlos Jericho L. Petilla, the energy secretary, called an emergency meeting of national and provincial power officials, and the local power cooperative agreed to pay the overdue amount for June of about $440,000 within five days. Local officials also agreed that the 100 customers with the highest unpaid balances with the local cooperative, many of them businesses connected to local or national politicians, would remain disconnected. | Power was restored to Albay on Wednesday at 5 p.m. after Carlos Jericho L. Petilla, the energy secretary, called an emergency meeting of national and provincial power officials, and the local power cooperative agreed to pay the overdue amount for June of about $440,000 within five days. Local officials also agreed that the 100 customers with the highest unpaid balances with the local cooperative, many of them businesses connected to local or national politicians, would remain disconnected. |
| Mr. Petilla said Wednesday afternoon that power to the province could be cut again if the local cooperative did not pay its bill for July by the Aug. 25 due date. | Mr. Petilla said Wednesday afternoon that power to the province could be cut again if the local cooperative did not pay its bill for July by the Aug. 25 due date. |
| He said that a long-term solution was being sought, but that the debt was complex, having accumulated over more than two decades. | He said that a long-term solution was being sought, but that the debt was complex, having accumulated over more than two decades. |
| Edcel Lagman, who represents Albay Province in the Philippine House of Representatives, called the power cut a disaster. | Edcel Lagman, who represents Albay Province in the Philippine House of Representatives, called the power cut a disaster. |
| “We are used to devastations brought about by typhoons and volcanic eruptions, but this will be the first time a man-made disaster such as this hit our province,” he said. | “We are used to devastations brought about by typhoons and volcanic eruptions, but this will be the first time a man-made disaster such as this hit our province,” he said. |
| Local officials have proposed drawing on a provincial disaster relief fund to help pay the debt, but national officials said it was unclear if this was legal. | Local officials have proposed drawing on a provincial disaster relief fund to help pay the debt, but national officials said it was unclear if this was legal. |
| Veronica Moran, a worker at the Tyche Boutique Hotel in Legazpi, the provincial capital, bemoaned the disruption after the power went off on Tuesday. “The city is very dark,” she said. “This is disrupting business for everyone.” She said her hotel had had limited use of credit card machines and computers and had been able to use backup generators only part of the time. | Veronica Moran, a worker at the Tyche Boutique Hotel in Legazpi, the provincial capital, bemoaned the disruption after the power went off on Tuesday. “The city is very dark,” she said. “This is disrupting business for everyone.” She said her hotel had had limited use of credit card machines and computers and had been able to use backup generators only part of the time. |
| “Our guests have been very understanding,” she said. “They know this isn’t our fault. This is the whole province.” | “Our guests have been very understanding,” she said. “They know this isn’t our fault. This is the whole province.” |
| Daisy Armadio, who works at a diabetes clinic in Legazpi, said generators had saved the day. | Daisy Armadio, who works at a diabetes clinic in Legazpi, said generators had saved the day. |
| “We pay our bill on time, but we are still disconnected,” she said. “This is a big problem, but we can manage.” | “We pay our bill on time, but we are still disconnected,” she said. “This is a big problem, but we can manage.” |