Cities asked to hasten road clearing

September 27, 2019 | 7:07 pm

THE Interior department has ordered local government units to hasten road-clearing operations.

The agency will send out starting on Monday teams composed of police, firemen and jail officials to check cities’ compliance with the road-clearing order it had issued earlier, Interior Undersecretary Jonathan E. Malaya said in a statement.

“Those found to be noncompliant will be issued show cause orders by DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año and will be submitted to President Rodrigo R. Duterte,” he said.

Mr. Año earlier said he would not extend the 60-day deadline for cities to clear their main roads. — Marc Wyxzel C. Dela Paz

Filipino Startup opened PH’s first 3D printing kiosk in Lipa

September 27, 2019 | 4:44 pm

Kezar3D Printing Services, currently the largest 3D printing startup in the Philippines, opened the first 3D printing kiosk in the Philippines in Robinsons Place Lipa on September 12, 2019.

CEO and General Manager Edward Solicito said that this event is a milestone, not just for the young technology startup but to the Philippine innovation ecosystem as a whole.

“Imagine a future where Filipino inventors or students or innovators just have to save their design in a flash drive, go to any Ayala, SM or Robinsons mall and have their prototype done in a couple of days. That is the future that we are building towards” Solicito said.

The Kezar3D kiosk which is a 2-meter by 2-meter kiosk has a built in 3D printing system that can receive, evaluate, quote and print 3D models, all within the premises of a mall. Its open design that puts an operating 3D printer in an aquarium-like enclosure allows Filipino mall-goers to see how 3D printing technology works. Multiple finished prints are also displayed and is allowed to be touched by anyone.

“Majority of Filipinos have never seen or touched a 3D printed product” said CEO and co-founder Edward Solicito. “We take it upon ourselves to make sure that this changes. We see Kezar3D as the startup who will make 3D printing accessible to all Filipinos.”

Kezar3D’s opening ceremonies was led by Lipa City Mayor Eric Africa and Lipa City Councilor Mikee Morada, together with the employees of Kezar3D and Kezar Innovations.

Kezar3D is set to open kiosks in Manila, Pampanga, Cebu and Davao from November to September next year.

Kezar3D currently have 41 remote sites all over Luzon and is valued at over 61 million pesos.

Dr. Lim Choon Pin, Cardiologist, Mount Elizabeth Hospital Singapore

September 27, 2019 | 11:37 am

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, affecting millions of people, old or young. Dr. Lim Choon Pin, who is a practicing cardiologist at Mount Elizabeth Hospitals in Singapore, talks about how factors such as obesity and smoking are associated with the disease, and what you can do to prevent it.

Taking care of the heart

September 27, 2019 | 11:32 am

Dr. Lim Choon Pin of Mount Elizabeth Hospitals in Singapore shares truths about cardiovascular diseases

Our heart is one of the most vital organs that keep us alive, constantly working beat by beat throughout the day. Many people, however, neglect to take care of their heart, and develop certain cardiovascular diseases that can be prevented by addressing behavioural risk factors and making healthy lifestyle choices.

“According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. There’s about 17.9 million people deaths each year as a result of cardiovascular diseases,” Dr. Lim Choon Pin, consultant cardiologist at Mount Elizabeth Hospitals in Singapore, told BusinessWorld in an interview.

Some of the most common heart problems and conditions affecting many people across the world, according to Dr. Lim, include coronary heart disease, heart failure, and heart rhythm problems. Coronary heart disease, also known as coronary artery disease, is a condition where the blood vessels of the heart are blocked as a result of cholesterol buildup. This heart condition can cause chest pain or breathlessness and can lead to heart attack, Dr. Lim said.

Heart failure, on the other hand, is a condition when the heart cannot keep up with its workload. According to Dr. Lim, this condition affects close to 30 million people worldwide and accounts for about one million hospitalizations each year in Europe. Despite these, he noted that heart failure remains as a misunderstood disease.

Heart rhythm problems, meanwhile, occur when there is a problem with the rhythm of the heart. One of the most common types of this condition is atrial fibrillation. According to Dr. Lim, nearly a quarter of people above 40 years old will develop this condition in their lifetime.

There are numerous factors associated with the development of heart conditions, which Dr. Lim classified into two categories: modifiable and non-modifiable factors. The first category relates to factors within our control, such as maintaining blood pressure and sugar intake and reducing cholesterol. The non-modifiable, on the other hand, refers to factors beyond our control, such as age, ethnicity, and genetics.

“That means that in spite of doing whatever we can to control diabetes, high blood pressure, and all the other modifiable risk factors, there is still this residual risk that is beyond our control,” Dr. Lim said.

Over the past decade, there had been a significant improvement in the field of cardiology when it comes to advances in technology. Dr. Lim said that these developments have allowed patients with heart diseases to undergo successful treatment.

At Mount Elizabeth Hospitals in Singapore, utmost patient care is guaranteed with its first-class medical talents and facilities. “We have a lot of skilled doctors [and] experienced consultants in Mount Elizabeth… The hospital is also equipped with advanced technologies,” Dr. Lim said.

Besides delivering top-class medical care, Dr. Lim assured that patients in Mount Elizabeth Hospitals will expect an excellent quality of service not only from its doctors and nurses, but also from service staff, cooks, and other workers. As he noted, “everybody is very committed to delivering a good quality service.”

Meanwhile, to reduce the risk of developing heart diseases, Dr. Lim advised individuals to embrace an active and healthy lifestyle. These include having a moderate intensity of exercise about five times per week and adopting a diet that is low in fats, salt, and sugar and rich in vegetables, fruits, and omega-3 fatty acids.

In addition to these, Dr. Lim underscored the importance of regular screenings to monitor the main risk factors of cardiovascular diseases, such as blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. Moreover, Dr. Lim advised smokers and other tobacco users to quit from their habit.

“Once you stop smoking, after about 10 years of stopping smoking, the risk of developing heart diseases drops back to that level of a non-smoker. So it’s never too late to stop smoking,” Dr. Lim said.

For more information about the digestive cancer and other condition, visit https://www.mountelizabeth.com.sg/healthplus.
Health Plus is an online health and wellness resource developed by Mount Elizabeth Hospitals, Singapore.

To make an enquiry or appointment, contact our Parkway Patient Assistance Centre:

Parkway Patient Assistance Centre (Taguig)
2/F Ore Central, 31st Street corner 9th Avenue
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, 1634 Philippines
Tel: +63 2 812-1264 ext. 227
Email: cmi-bgc.ph@parkwaypantai.com

Parkway Patient Assistance Centre (Pasig)
Unit 3106 East Tektite Tower
Exchange Road, Ortigas Center
Pasig City 1605, Philippines
Tel: +63 917-560-6498
Email: manila.ph@parkwaypantai.com

BCMAP held their second Business Continuity Summit

September 27, 2019 | 9:05 am

The Business Continuity Managers Association of the Philippines (BCMAP) held their second Business Continuity Summit with the theme “Business As Usual” on September 10, 2019 at the Auditorium of SM MAAX in MOA Complex, Pasay City. The Summit was a premier learning event for Business Continuity Practitioners, Disaster Recovery Professionals, Security Officers and other related Professions from the various business sectors in the Philippines. Over 200 representatives from both the private and public sectors participated in the event. This year’s summit focused on the MSME segment.

The summit was graced by the presence of Mr. Hans T. Sy, Director of ARISE International, who has been at the forefront of private sector-led DRRM initiatives in the Philippines because of the country’s vulnerability to natural disasters.

The successful conference was brought about by the concerted efforts of BCMAP’s board of directors led by the association’s President, Mr. Ramil Cabodil.

BSP slashes key rates a third time

September 27, 2019 | 12:33 am

By Luz Wendy T. Noble

THE MONETARY BOARD (MB) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Thursday trimmed benchmark interest rates by 25 basis points for the third time this year, in the face of continued easing of price pressures and amid the need to spur economic growth.

The latest monetary policy move slashed rates for overnight reverse repurchase (RRP), as well as overnight deposit and lending to four percent, 3.5% and 4.5%, respectively.

Banks’ reserve requirement ratio (RRR), however, was left at 16% for big banks, six percent for thrift banks and four percent for rural and cooperative banks, although BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno had said earlier this month that these rates could be cut further — after 200 bp reductions this year and in 2018 — by another 100 bp in any of the central bank’s weekly meetings towards yearend.

“The Monetary Board’s decision is based on its assessment that price pressures have eased further since the previous meeting… Inflation expectations also remain well-anchored within the inflation range based on the BSP’s survey of private sector economists,” Mr. Diokno told reporters in a briefing after the meeting.

He added that “[t]he Monetary Board also noted that the balance of risks to the inflation outlook has shifted toward the upside for 2020, while it is seen to tilt to the downside for 2021.”

“Upside risks to inflation over the near term emanate mainly from volatility in oil prices due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and from the potential impact of the African Swine Fever outbreak on food prices,” Mr. Diokno said.

“Meanwhile, the subdued pace of global economic activity continues to temper the inflation outlook.”

The third rate cut for the year comes as the government moves to rev up the economy, which expanded by a disappointing 5.5% last month — against an already tempered 6-7% official target for 2019 and last year’s actual 6.2% — due to a three-and-a-half delay in national budget enactment that left new projects unfunded.

Asked whether this could be the last adjustment in benchmark interest rates for 2019, BSP Assistant Governor Edna S. Villa replied that the central bank “looks at evolving developments” and “never pre-commits to a particular response or policy action.”

Monetary authorities on Thursday also trimmed their forecast inflation average to 2.5% from an already-downward-revised 2.6%, Ms. Villa said, adding that the forecasts for 2020 and 2021 have been retained at 2.9%.

Those forecasts fall within the BSP’s 2-4% full-year target.

“In the near term, inflation could continue to decelerate and reach the low end of the target until November 2019 due primarily to base effects as oil and rice peaked at the same period in 2018,” she explained.

Last year saw successive multi-year-high inflation rates that hit a nine-year-high 6.7% in September and October, fueling a decade-high 5.2% average for 2018.

“… [T]here is indeed room for more [rate cuts],” UnionBank of the Philippines Inc. chief economist Ruben Carlo O. Asuncion said via text, noting that there are still 100 bps left “to unwind” from last year’s cumulative 175 bp hike.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael L. Ricafort said via e-mail that “Further cuts in local policy rates remains possible especially if the US Federal Reserve cuts its key short-term interest rates further and if local GDP growth data remain relatively soft, moving forward.”

“With the latest cut, BSP still has a significant policy space due to a 175 bps total rate hike from last year, giving the central bank enough policy leeway to support the economy for the rest of 2019 and beyond, should government spending fail to revive growth,” Mr. Robert Dan J. Roces said in an e-mail, while J.P.Morgan’s Nur Raisah Rasid said in a quick note to journalists that “[a]mid ongoing growth concerns and weaker inflation momentum, we continue to look for further monetary easing at the Dec. 12 monetary board meeting, bringing the policy rate to 3.75% by end-2019.”

PHL only partially makes up for 2018 fall in digital edge

September 27, 2019 | 12:32 am

THE PHILIPPINES edged up just a notch on IMD business school’s annual world digital competitiveness index after last year’s 10-place drop, but it remained third to the last among Asia-Pacific economies covered.

The Philippines placed 55^th overall out of 63 economies, but stayed 12^th out of 14 in Asia and the Pacific, ahead again of Indonesia and Mongolia in the region.

Each economy is ranked in indicators grouped under the pillars of knowledge, where the Philippines placed 51^st from 50^th last year; technology, 55^th from 58^th; and future readiness, 54^th from 52^nd.

The Philippines performed its best in high-tech exports, where it placed in the top one percent; number of female researchers, seventh; high-tech patent grants, 12^th; number of graduates in sciences, 13^th; investment in telecommunications, 15^th; and e-participation, 19^th.

“The Philippines’ performance was driven by progresses in technology adoption by citizens, talent and capital availability for firms (i.e. improvements in the Talent, Capital and Adaptative attitudes subfactors),” IMD Senior Economist José Caballero said in an e-mail.

Mr. Caballero attributed the country’s smaller gains in comparison to other Asian countries to weaknesses in Philippine research and development expenditure, regulatory frameworks and technological frameworks.

The Philippines performed its worst in terms of starting a business, communication technology and Internet bandwidth speed in which it placed 62^nd in each indicator; enforcing contracts (61^st), Internet retailing (59^th), as well as smartphone possession and Internet users in which the country placed 58^th.

The top 10 on the global list consisted of the United States, which also topped last year; Singapore, Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland which stayed in second to fifth places, respectively; the Netherlands which placed sixth (from ninth); Finland which stayed in seventh place; Hong Kong with leapt to eighth from 11^th; Norway which fell to ninth from sixth and South Korea in 10^th place from 14^th. — Jenina P. Ibañez

2019 IMD world digital competitiveness ranking

September 27, 2019 | 12:31 am

THE PHILIPPINES edged up just a notch on IMD business school’s annual world digital competitiveness index after last year’s 10-place drop, but it remained third to the last among Asia-Pacific economies covered. Read the full story.

A new generation takes over in Forbes’ ‘Rich List’

September 27, 2019 | 12:31 am

THE SY SIBLINGS topped this year’s Forbes Philippines Rich List, leading the roster that includes several other second-generation businessmen following the passing of long-time listees.

In a statement issued Thursday, the publication said the Sy siblings tallied a combined wealth of $17.2 billion, coming mostly from SM Investments Corp., the country’s largest conglomerate with a market cap of over P1.22 trillion.

The siblings — Teresita, Elizabeth, Henry Jr., Hans, Herbert, and Harley — all hold executive position in the SM group. They succeed their late father, Henry Sy, Sr., as the country’s richest, who held the position for 11 straight years before his death last January.

Children of the late George S.K. Ty ranked ninth with a combined net worth of $2.6 billion. Their wealth stems from listed conglomerate GT Capital Holdings, Inc., which holds Toyota Motor Corp. and Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co., as well as interests in insurance, power generation and real estate.

The Sy and Ty siblings are counted as a group since Forbes combines the inheritances of founders of a business who have died.

“Since 2017, the list no longer includes families in which the founder of the business has died, unless the successors are wealthy enough to make the cut off individually; in these cases, inherited fortunes are combined,” Forbes explained in a news statement.

Real estate tycoon Manuel B. Villar placed second on the list with $6.6 billion, weighed down by weakness in the stock market. Mr. Villar chairs listed firms Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc.; Golden Bria Holdings, Inc., and Vistamalls, Inc. He is set to list his home improvement supplies retailer AllHome Corp. this year.

Cebu Air, Inc. founder John L. Gokongwei, Jr. remained in the third spot with $5.3 billion, higher than last year’s $4.4 billion.

Ports tycoon Enrique K. Razon, Jr. grew his wealth by 30% to $5.1 billion, putting him one spot higher to fourth this year. Others in the top 10 are Jaime Zobel de Ayala with $3.7 billion, Lucio S. Tan, Sr. with $3.6 billion, Tony Tan Caktiong with $3 billion, Ramon S. Ang with $2.8 billion and Andrew L. Tan with $2.55 billion.

Forbes noted that Mercedes T. Gotianun was one of the biggest gainers after her fortune swelled 91% to $2.2 billion, propelling her to the 12^th spot.

“Shares in her Filinvest Development Corp. soared after posting a 31% leap in net income for 2018,” Forbes noted in its statement.

“Revenues for Filinvest’s main property and banking segments rose on higher rental income and fees from lending.”

Logistics and energy tycoon Dennis A. Uy notched the 22^nd spot with a net worth of $660 million.

AgriNurture, Inc. Chairman Antonio L. Tiu also made it to the list at no. 49, with a fortune of $135 million.

Forbes comes up with the list by compiling information from individuals, stock exchanges, analysts, private databases, government agencies, and other sources.

Stock prices and exchange rates were based on Sept. 6 data. — Arra B. Francia

The value of a solid foundation

September 27, 2019 | 12:30 am

The Entrepreneur Of The Year Philippines 2019 has concluded its search for the country’s most successful and inspiring entrepreneurs. Entrepreneur Of The Year Philippines is a program of the SGV Foundation, Inc. with the participation of co-presenters Department of Trade and Industry, the Philippine Business for Social Progress, and the Philippine Stock Exchange. In the next few weeks, BusinessWorld will feature each of the finalists for the Entrepreneur Of The Year Philippines 2019.

Regan C. Sy
CEO and VP for Marketing
Regan Industrial Sales, Inc. (RISI)

IN CONSTRUCTING a building, you need to start with a strong steel foundation to ensure its longevity and durability.

The same thinking can be applied in business, because for a company to thrive in an era of unprecedented disruption, it must have a solid purpose and a robust set of values at its core.

For Regan Sy, chief executive officer and vice-president for Marketing of Regan Industrial Sales, Inc. (RISI), these core values are trustworthiness, integrity, loyalty, being passionate about your job and looking out for your clients’ best interest. These ideals are deeply ingrained in RISI’s over 1700 people, which has enabled it to consistently lead the market in steel importation, and to be included among the Top 250 corporations in the Philippines.

He adds, “If there’s one thing we’re passionate about, it’s customer service. I realized that in the steel business, we’re not just selling steel, especially in today’s environment, we’re selling a service. We have a lot of competition, but what will set us apart is the quality of service we provide. ‘Regan’ is not just about steel; we are also a solutions provider.”

Mr. Sy’s entrepreneurial principles also helped him overcome the challenges of operating a large-scale steel trading business. He admits that RISI experienced setbacks during the Asian and global financial crises. However, he recalled the company’s biggest test was when his father passed away in 2005. This tragedy prompted RISI’s employees to question the company’s viability, but Mr. Sy was determined to continue the family business.

RISI was founded by Mr. Sy’s parents in 1968. It started as a small hardware store in Tondo, Manila that sold nails, steel articles and mining tools. Eventually, the company expanded to selling structural steel and relocated to a bigger headquarters in Balintawak in 1975. By 1989, RISI started to make and distribute steel pipes, under its subsidiary, Supreme Steel Pipe Corp.

Today, RISI is focused on importing steel materials from reputable mills in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, China, the United Arab Emirates and other sources. The company markets the products to local and international contractors and companies engaged in manufacturing, mining, retail and other industries involved in new engineering structural options. RISI also takes advantage of mavericks in the industry and responds to their needs as they evolve.

RISI also provides warehousing services through its four large steel hubs across the country. To complete its logistics package, the company operates its own fleet of trucks that delivers products to the retail market. In addition, RISI utilizes the services of third-party providers and outsources trucking services from a pool of eight contractors that serves its other clients.

Mr. Sy claims that RISI became the forerunner in its industry, because it refused to participate in the old industry practice of settling for substandard quality steel in place of premium quality steel. Instead, it educates clients by providing them with clear choices on steel quality and country of origin, in accordance clients’ specifications and budgets.

To guarantee the company’s lead in the market, Mr. Sy invests in the digitalization of RISI’s existing manual systems. The company has been leveraging data analytics to provide real-time information to staff and clients. He also plans to integrate digital systems into logistical operations by yearend.

RISI plans to go public after two years, once it will have completed all the requirements needed for initial public offering.

Over the years, RISI has developed strategic alliances with suppliers abroad. Recently, it partnered with a Thai-Japanese company to expand their business into developing advanced garage systems and new structural options. The company also wants to pursue partnerships for new ventures to offer innovative products in the rapidly evolving marketplace.

RISI also invests in capacity-building of its staff, as Mr. Sy would like RISI’s legacy to be defined by their pursuit of continuous growth. The company enrolls its people in various leadership and skills-based trainings for their personal development. This practice can be attributed to Mr. Sy’s late father who was an advocate of lifelong learning, despite himself not being able to finish college.

Mr. Sy realized his father’s dream, by earning his Management Economics degree from the Ateneo de Manila University and his MBA from the Ateneo Graduate School of Business.

His commitment to education also extends to his charity work, as he has partnered with Gawad Kalinga to build a school in Marikina. The company’s social responsibility programs also include quarterly visits to homes for the aged and orphanages around Metro Manila. Aside from RISI’s donations, Mr. Sy is proud of his employees who pool their own money to raise funds for outreach programs. After each outreach visit, the participants share their experiences with their colleagues and reflect on what they have experienced.

Upon his own personal reflection, Mr. Sy realized that taking the helm of RISI completely transformed his demeanor. He learned how to be humble and how to engage with people. He also improved his management style to better suit RISI’s corporate culture. As a result, he notes that most of his people average a tenure of at least 25 years.

Asked on lessons he can impart to budding entrepreneurs, Mr. Sy shared the advice of his mother: “You must always keep your word of honor to your partners, suppliers, employees and creditors. Never break their trust, because in business trust is foremost. Love your work and be as honest as possible, and you will go a long way.”

The official airline of the Entrepreneur of the Year Philippines 2019 is Philippine Airlines. Media sponsors are BusinessWorld and the ABS-CBN News Channel. Banquet sponsor is Uratex.

Winners of the Entrepreneur Of The Year Philippines 2019 will be announced on Oct. 15 in an awards banquet at the Makati Shangri-La hotel.

The Entrepreneur Of The Year Philippines will represent the country in the World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020 in Monte Carlo, Monaco in June 2020. The Entrepreneur Of The Year program is produced globally by Ernst & Young.

AllHome prices IPO at low end

September 27, 2019 | 12:08 am

ALL HOME Corp. is making its stock market debut on Oct. 10.

ALLHOME Corp. has set the final offer price for its initial public offering (IPO) at P11.50 each — the low end of its indicative range, according to a notice on the stock exchange Thursday.

The final price is lower than the company’s earlier target of P16 apiece, where it would have raised P20.7 billion.

AllHome can raise up to P14.878 billion from the sale of up to 1.29 billion shares, consisting of 1.125 billion common shares and 168.75 million shares as part of the over allotment option.

The Villar-led company’s offer period will run from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4, with listing at the Philippine Stock Exchange scheduled for Oct. 10.

Proceeds from the issuance will be used to construct 43 stores until 2020, out of the 45 new ones it will put up in the same period. A portion will also be used to repay debt, which were obtained as the initial working capital of its 20 existing stores.

Upon listing, the company will have a public float of 34.5%, and a market capitalization of up to P60 billion.

AllHome hired UBS AG, Singapore Branch as the offer’s sole global coordinator and joint bookrunner. CLSA Ltd. and Credit Suisse (Singapore) Ltd. will act as joint bookrunners, while PNB Capital & Investment Corp. will act as local lead underwriter. China Bank Capital Corp. will also serve as co-lead local underwriter.

The company generated a net profit of $8.5 million in the first six months of 2019, following $98.6 million in revenues.

AllHome’s maiden share sale is set to be the third this year, following real estate management firm Kepwealth Property Phils, Inc which raised P383 million, and coconut products manufacturer Axelum Resources Corp. whose offer period for its P4-billion fund-raising is ongoing until Sept. 30.

Three more firms are looking to list their shares at the PSE, namely Taiwanese firm Cal-Comp Technology (Philippines), Inc. (P10.68 billion), Metro Pacific Hospital Holdings, Inc. (P83.3 billion), and Fruitas Holdings, Inc. (P1.2 billion). Their applications are currently awaiting approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The surge in the number of companies seeking to go public this year comes amid continued volatility in the stock market, which has been trading at the 7,700 to 7,900 range due to concerns on the US-China trade war, slowing global economic growth, and other local factors. — Arra B. Francia

Quezon power plant gets ERC green light to operate

September 27, 2019 | 12:07 am

MANILA Electric Co. (Meralco) has secured provisional authority from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to start operating San Buenaventura Power Ltd.’s (SBPL) 500-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant and provide baseload capacity to the Luzon grid.

“This is a welcome development, and one that shows that ERC understands that power demand in Luzon is steadily increasing, and the conditions show that we are in dire need of additional baseload capacity,” said Jose Ronald Valles, Meralco vice-president and head of regulatory management, in a statement.

He said the output from the power plant would be a “significant contributor” to Meralco in fulfilling its mandate to provide adequate, reliable supply of electricity at the least cost.

SBPL is led by Meralco subsidiary Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen), which earlier scheduled the country’s first supercritical coal-fired power plant in Mauban, Quezon to start operating this month.

The developer said its incoming capacity would prove “critical” in the coming months in light of the scheduled maintenance shutdown of Luzon’s biggest power generation suppliers. It said the Ilijan power plant’s first unit with 600 MW is set to go on planned maintenance for 13 days on Oct. 3-15, and curtail its capacity from Oct. 16-18.

SBPL also expects the Sual coal power plant’s unit two with 647 MW to shut down for 30 days from Oct. 19 to Nov. 17, while the San Lorenzo plant’s module 50 with 250 MW is scheduled to go on maintenance for five days on Oct. 26-30. Masinloc unit two with 344 MW will also be on scheduled outage for 35 days, beginning Oct. 30 to Dec. 4.

The scheduled outages come as the country’s biggest natural gas facility, Malampaya, will temporarily stop supplying fuel to generation facilities on Oct. 12-15. Malampaya supplies more than 40% of Meralco’s power requirement, and provides natural gas to fuel for Sta. Rita, San Lorenzo, Ilijan, San Gabriel and Avion power plants.

SBPL’s provisional authority to operate follows the statement by Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi that his office had manifested to the ERC the importance of SBPL’s commissioning.

The plant’s commercial operation date was targeted on Sept. 15 but was deferred after the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) raised questions about SBPL’s use of water rights.

“We were able to provide adequate, factual answers immediately and NWRB responded also as promptly. Now, they are privy to the urgency of the power situation at hand, and hopefully gained new insights that will help them be more circumspect in their succeeding engagements within the power industry or beyond,” Mr. Valles said.

He said the ERC and the Department of Energy supervised “the quick resolution of the matter and thwart any further delays to the commissioning of SBPL and prevent a possible power supply problem in the Luzon grid.” — Victor V. Saulon