Power Interruption
By Artemio A. Dumlao
La Trinidad, Benguet (December 16, 2014) – Rage has ensued over a three-hour blackout Monday noon after an alleged communication lapse between the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and the Aboitiz Power Renewables Inc. (APRI).
Power for the whole of Abra province went off at exactly 12 noon Monday after APRI did not notify NGCP that it is deferring its disconnection notice for (today) Monday, said NGCP spokesperson Lilibeth Gaydowen.
The Abra Electric Cooperative (Abreco) paid its remaining P5.13M obligation at 10AM Monday but still APRI disconnected us two hours after, said Loreto Seares Jr., general manager of the power cooperative.
NGCP said the unfortunate incident was already in the hands of the power supplier APRI and the distributor Abreco.
Abra rep. Ma Jocelyn Bernos said “although the transaction between APRI, NGCP and Abreco is purely a private concern, power supply is a basic necessity and I cannot sit and do nothing with the present issue.” I will see to it, the Abra lawmaker said, “that Abreco continues lighting the province and for that I will constantly monitor (the issue).”
APRI however has terminated its amended Power Supply Agreement (PSA) with Abreco last November 4, 2014, the power supplier’s spokesperson Ria Calleja said. She explained that in its letter to the cooperative, APRI explained that the continued non-compliance of Abreco to the definitive terms has forced the company to terminate its amended PSA.
A disconnection was scheduled then but APRI agreed to defer as per the request of the DOE, Calleja continued.
A disconnection was last scheduled for Dec 10, however, again, APRI rescheduled the same for December 15.
APRI is no longer a supplier of Abreco, Calleja declared.
“We are demanding an explanation, said Abreco general manager Seares, who took concern over the suffering of over 40,000 consumer-members of the power cooperative and the province’s economy caused by Monday’s incident.
In a letter by Seares to APRI, Abreco complained that despite their communication lines kept open between them, NGCP, the “damaging” disconnection was implemented. “If it all boils down to a miscommunication or delayed protocol between APRI and NGCP, then we implore you to give us an official explanation to curtail further damage to our coop’s standing in the eyes of our member-consumers who are already bombarded with alarming misinformation.” Seares added that APRI should “help us straighten the record in the midst of the confusion and panic in Abra.”***Artemio A. Dumlao***
abrenian.com 
what? GM Seares has still the nerve to say that. My god Seares is really an idiot. The best for him is to call a general assembly to once and for all inform the people of what is happening. But I am quite certain that he would not dare because he knows that in reality HE IS AT FAULT.
It has become a he said she said scenario. Its the word of APRI against GM Seares. A normal person would certainly believe in APRI as I do believe and know that GM Seares is guilty of PLUNDERING ABRECO. It is for him to prove otherwise by calling a GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
The suffering of the member/consumers is not the doing of APRI but the doing of the mismanagement of GM Seares. APRI does not need to explain. GM Seares HAS TO EXPAIN. When did it ever occur that the lender is the oneexplaining? It is common sense that the one indebted is the one to explain why he or she was not able to comply with the conditions of the creditor and not the other way around. This only shows the lack of gray matter in between the ears of GM Loreto Seares.
Posted by mario bang | December 16, 2014, 5:32 pmThe Catholic Clergy of the Diocese of Bangued and the
ABRECO Watch Convenors Group has written President
Benigno Aquino asking for help on the problems of the
cooperative saying “We the concerned members of the
ABRECO of the Province of Abra, earnestly request His
Excellency to help us solve the worsening problems of
our cooperative especially in the past three years.”
The letter stated “Abreco has not paid Aboitiz Power
Renewables, Inc. a security deposit of thirty two pesos
(P32M), hence payment of seven hundred eighty
thousand: (P780,000.00) monthly as penalty, and
escalating per month.”
“Abreco also is unable to adhere to agreements with
NGCP. Abreco fails to become a member of Wholesale
Electricity Spot Market (WESM) as proposed by APARI,”
added the letter.
The letter continued “There are deep financial, technical
and Institutional problems as indicated in the
Comprehensive. Audit Report the National Electrification
Administration (NEA) covering June 2010 to June 2013,
There are arrearages of more than four hundred million
pesos P400M) with the Power Sectors Assets and
Liabilities Management (PSALM).
The concerned citizens said “Abreco has not convened a
General Assembly or a Special Assembly in the past 2
years despite a resolution of 10 percent of the members
submitted to the Board of Directors asking for a Special
General Assembly. There were two separate resolutions
dated November 28, 2012 with 4,332 signatories as of
Dec. 27, 2012 and January 9, 2013 with 3,239
signatories as of February 1, 2013.”
The citizens in the letter has asked the president to:
assign a team of financial, technical and management
experts from the National Electrification Administration
(NEA) to immediately take over the management of
Abreco for six months to one year with participation of
local experts from Abra who they will train on the job;
create a separate team to look into the NEA
comprehensive audit report and other problems of the
cooperative, and based on their findings, implement a
concrete plan action particularly to make people
responsible of the problematic state of the cooperative to
be accountable and that the audit team
recommendations be acted upon; require ABRECO to
conduct a Special General Assembly before holding any
election of members of the Board of Directors to listen to
what the members will say and facilitate agreement
among local executive officials to refrain from supporting
anybody to run for the board of directors and in the
choice of a general manager and other employees of the
cooperative as mandated by the NEA Reform Act of 2013
(RA 10531).
Posted by ELVIE M | December 20, 2014, 10:34 pmIt might be his adviser/s.
Posted by maestro | December 16, 2014, 9:51 pmMaulaw nak t pinagpanpanunot daytoy nga abnormal nga gm seares…..namin ano nga daras nga nangted t considerasyon t aboitiz uray no saan nga nagcomply t abreco t patangan…..cge abreco idarum u man t aboitiz ta makita t laing u? Wenno bluff lang dayta…….
Posted by Okel....okel | December 17, 2014, 2:09 amAPRI however has terminated its amended Power Supply Agreement (PSA) with Abreco last November 4, 2014, the power supplier’s spokesperson Ria Calleja said. She explained that in its letter to the cooperative, APRI explained that the continued non-compliance of Abreco to the definitive terms has forced the company to terminate its amended PSA.
Apay saan mo nga ammo daytoy explanation ti APRI basaem a. waeng ka nga talaga gm seares, ania payla ti idemand mo nga explanation iti APRI no dika ket muttaleng. Tatta ta naterminate ti Power Supply Agreement (PSA) ti ABRECO ken APRI, anytime without due notice mabalin da nga idisconnect ti NGCP ti ABRECO no agkurang ti supply ti kuryente kas ibagbaga ti DOE into no umay a tawen, ken ti presyo ti kuryente adda posibilidad na nga agpangato ngamin awanen ti binding agreement ten no siasino man ti mayat a mangsupply ti kuryente ti Abreco. Kaasi latta ti Abrenio ti ar-aramiden manager.
Posted by john doe | December 17, 2014, 6:27 amI agree, MARIO BANG and OKEL….OKEL. JOHN DOE, you are right on the money, loud and clear. Time and again, APRI tolerated the violations of the Purchase Power Agreement by ABRECO. Membership in WESM and a security deposit of 32M PHP roughly equivalent to two months consumption of ABRECO which is more or less 16M PHP were prerequisites. Moreover, ABRECO did not even bother to get a permit from ERC(Energy Regulatory Commission). Now we know why the rates charged by ABRECO rise even without an explanation. If you check your September and November bills you will see a steep rise in the rates charged by ABRECO.
Some bloggers in this forum claim, nay gloat even, that there is nothing to worry about because Sec. Petilla is on our side. They have never been so wrong. APRI is in the business of selling electric power. It is not a charitable institution. Sec. Petilla can only request, he cannot order APRI to do the impossible – provide electric power to ABRECO considering the very poor record of ABRECO in meeting its obligations.
It is unfortunate as well as irritating to know GM Seares even has the intestinal fortitude to ask APRI to explain. If anybody needed to explain, it is GM Seares and the members of the old board of directors. GM Seares is so pathetic. He is no different from a drowning person who will cling to the nearest person to bring him down with him. I am so sorry but In my opinion, GM Seares never grew up, he just grew old.
The leaders of the province have expressed their concern about the economic loss suffered by businessmen and the discomfort suffered by everyone else. But I, as a taxpayer, expect more from them. The problems in the management of ABRECO has festered for far too long like a stinking wound. No one among them seems to have the moral ascendancy to tell GM Seares to evaporate. I, and I believe most of the bloggers in this forum, have no wish to take over the management of ABRECO or to replace any of the leaders in our province. We are just pleading for a more competent and honest leadership in government and in institutions that affect our very lives. We are not your enemies. We are ready and willing to support any official, high or low, who will take care of us like a father takes care of his family.
If I may, I will end this post with 3 quotations that find relevance in the urgent problem that is ABRECO.
“Keep your friends for friendship, but work with the skilled and competent”.
“Remember, the best deceivers do everything they can to cloak their roguish qualities. They cultivate an air of honesty in one area to disguise their dishonesty in others. Honesty is merely another decoy in their arsenal of weapons”.
“What does it matter if your friend or rival intended good things and only had your interests at heart, if the effects of his actions lead to so much ruin and confusion? It is only natural for people to cover up their actions with all kinds of justifications, always assuming that they acted out of goodness”.
A Blessed Christmas to all!
Posted by Pedro Abreno | December 17, 2014, 3:22 pmUray kasano t pintas t balikas tau no kasta nga napuskol t pinagruprupa t SEARES ket kaskasdinto latta…..maan anu nga bagaam t maysa nga miembro t pamilyam nga madin t aramidnan ngem patpatunaynayem met t dakes nga aramid ta isu ket ngarud t pagbibyagan ken pagkurkuritbungan da………
Posted by Okel....okel | December 17, 2014, 8:13 pmiso garud nga narigat ti agpautang. no mayda ka utangan , unay ti panag pak pakaasi da ngem no singirem mon suda pay makaluksaw . diaske keti ti biag ….
Posted by waengtitagaabra | December 17, 2014, 4:31 pmDAGITAY AWAN KUARTA NA NAKIDIABLO KET ISU DAPAY TI TANAWTAW NGA TANAWTAW APAY NGATA ???diaske
Posted by POLLAT | December 18, 2014, 8:31 amPollat, anagem man ta sarsaritaem. Keep opening your mouth to erase all doubts.
Posted by HATER | December 18, 2014, 10:59 ammagustuak man ta kunam POLLAT dagitay domanarodor nga komentaryo nga komentaryo anya ngarud ti ekspektarem ti awan kuarta na aglala-aw a kunam la no nabartekken ti sakit ti nakemmen..kitaem ni bossing KOLIGLIG NABNABSOG ..katkatawaan natayo ah ta muttaleng tay met amin idtoy a.com nga nayat nga pasuitik..its too late nga maamiris tayo nakaramot dan aminen nga kasla katangken ti sagat a kayo..they always say nothing being wrong being too late..How could we fix this corruption culture from this circle of families being there to govern and control every single thing in abrenian society…is that by airing our doubts and headaches here in a.com…are we in the pattern of APOLINARIO MABINI….AND WHO THE HECK WILL LISTEN TO US…WE ARE ALL FRUSTRATED BUT DO WE HAVE THE BALLS TO DO IT..NOT EVEN HERE IN A.COM GOT THE GUTS TO POST OUR REAL NAMES..SOLUTION TO ABRECO CONSUMERS MUST UNIFY NOT PAY THEIR ELECTRICAL BILLS IN ORDER TO PUT SOLUTION ON THE TABLE BETWEEN CONSUMERS AND ABRECO MANAGEMENT..THE ONLY WAY THAT A CONSUMER MAY DO TO FORCE AND FORM A NEW MANAGEMENT IN ABRECO…QUESTION IS ARE WE ALL WILLING NOT TO PAY OUR ELECTRICAL BILLS….HOPE YES..IF WE COULD DO IT THE COW IS DEAD CAUSE NO MORE MILK ON THE COW HEHEHEHE
Posted by cha-cha | December 18, 2014, 10:37 pmAYSUS APO CHA-CHA mayat da aya ..iyawatam pay a ti kuarta sadanto mayat..apay dika aya ammo nga halos amin nga consumer ti ABRECO KET NAGATANG AMIN NI GM isu nga agin ga ita ket adda payla ti puwesto..AGRI-ING KAYO kaka-ilian saanto nga agbalbaliwen ni ABRENIO uray pay agbirbirakak tay amin idtoy no ti kaadwan ket nagatangen adda ngata pay bagbaliwan na..nabayag nga naadmitaren nga awan ti bagbaliwan ti ili tayo gapo dayta kanya kanya system..diaske
Posted by KAMPANILLA | December 19, 2014, 12:54 amPadasem man ketdi man apo CHA_CHA nga ipayawag dita DZPA DEYTA inka inbagbaga ditoy nga awan agbayad ti kolyinti ta kita-ek la no mabigatan ka pay
Posted by Bondat | December 19, 2014, 1:31 amPatang tay nga patang, awan sa met mapala tayo
Diaske
*&^/
Posted by Team Mabble | December 19, 2014, 4:10 am@POLLAT
Apay met nga kasta ti ibagbagam gayyem? Marigrigat man wenno nabaknang, agpaparis nga adda right tayo. Article III Section 4 of the Constipation protects our right of expression. Uphold and exercise our right freely. There is no restraint and responsibility in the exercise thereof as long as it does not violate the law or injure someones character, reputation or business.
Ken kitaen yo bassit dagita nagnagan yo ditoy forum tayo gagayyem. “Res ipsa loquitor” Your name speaks for itself.
Posted by ELVIE M. | December 19, 2014, 7:26 amHi Elvie the freedom of expeession that you mentioned above idoes not exist not even here in A.com
Why you wont try to air in Dzpa to test that freedom
Posted by Banawbaw | December 19, 2014, 6:45 pmBanawbaw,what do you think you are doing then?
Posted by Hater | December 19, 2014, 10:34 pmConstipated ka Banawbaw? Hehehe
Posted by Hater | December 20, 2014, 4:47 amConstipation? who is under constipation ma’am, the thieves?
Posted by kabunian | December 19, 2014, 11:27 amKABUNIAN,dagitay awan mapatang na ditoy forum isuda ti agconstipation, dagitay patang nga patang ti adu uray nonsense isuda ti agdiarrhea kas koma kenni… diaske. Ti agreact guilty
Posted by TEAM MCKEY | December 19, 2014, 3:14 pmAMMOM OKEL OKEL, SAAN MET AMIN AAGPELYEDO TI SEARES KET NAPOSKOL ROPA NA, MABALIN NGA SIKA TI NAPOSKOL UNAY TI OKEL OKEL MO ARSING NAPANGAS KA LA UNAY , ADO TI BASOL TI ABRECO NGEM SAAN NGA AMIN A BASOL KET NI GM JUN TA ADO PAY TI BASOL NI MARCO BAUTISTA IDI KENNI DATOY KUNADA NGA ADO TI KINAGBIBISIN NGA NI DAVID GOLIATH GUZMAN NGA KATATANGKENAN NGA KANDIPLATO NGA PARA MAYOR TI ILI TI DOLORES. TI MAYSA NGA DOROG TI DAGITOY NAARAMID TI ABRECO KET KNOWLEDGE AMIN NI DAVID TA AGINSISIRIB ISUNA NGEM NI GM TA NI NGAMIN GM NALAING A TAO KET DENGEN NA NI DAVID, KITAEN YO APO TI AGLAWLAW TAYO KET TI DAMAG KET NI GAYAMDAVID GUZMAN KET USUSAREN NA TI KUARTA TI ABRECO NGA PAG GATANG TI SHABU WITH THE HELP OF COURSE OF HIS RELATIVE KABAGYAN JET CARINO NGA KABSAT NI ATTY. CARINO KET NI DATOY CARINO JET KET PDEA NGEM ISUNA TI AG ESCORT TAPNO SAAN POLOS MATILIW TI KARGAMENTO NI DAVID.WAKE UP ABRENIANS CONNECTED WITH PNP OR PDEA TO PLS REPORT THISON GOING BUSINESS OF ABRECO! ABRECO AWAN POLOS TI NAMNAMA NA NGA AGBALIW TA DAGITOY RESPONDENTS KET LAW BREAKERS. TO YO OKEL OKEL AKA ARSING BENE SAAN KA UNAY TA IDI SEARES TI AGTURAY ADA KA KANYADA, IDI BARBERO ADA KA MAN TI BARBERO, IDI NI BERSAMIN BERSAMIN KEN VALERA KA THE RIGHT WAY TO NAME YOU IS SUPER BALIMBING.
Posted by EFREN | December 19, 2014, 8:22 pmApay efren seares ka kadi wenno villalobos ta unay lang t pinnakatungpam jay pinang generalized kon? T maysa nga nalungsot a kamatis nga nailaok jay basket ket ramaramen na amin nga lungsoten t dadduma……kasano man nga aramid t bautista wenno david t pinnaka bankarute t abrecon? Idi time baustista ket completo benefits t emplyado t abreco, mapagdasig mo kadi t analogy dayjay? Ni david, awan t power na nga akas power t gm, us usarem met lang ta dadda nagtingaan t dua nga lapayag mo?
Posted by Okel....okel | December 22, 2014, 4:11 am@efren ada proebam kadi nga iraman mo dagita carino brothers iti dealings no ada man shabu dealings ti abreco ken david guzman? madim pay maibaga nga agtatakaw deta gm seares so nga awan ti mamati kinyam waeng ka met a mesa.
Posted by waengtitagaabra | January 2, 2015, 10:29 pmParang okey yong sina sabi brod Efren. Peru ang hindi ok yong pag-ayos mo ng sentences . Huwag magagalit, dapat magreview sa grammar kung kailan ka gagamit ng kurek punctuation mark ng lalong ayos yon mensahe mo. Wala akong balak na saktanka o manglait, gusto ko lang tumulong. Siguro baka makatulong si misis o anak mo. Merry Xmas!.
Posted by Capitan | December 19, 2014, 11:11 pmSorry, sino kaya ang tunay na buakaw, yong taong gustong tumulong st nagsasabi ng totoo o yong taong ayaw tumanggap ng pagkakamali at tutamatawag ng ‘ buakaw. ‘ Alam mo si boss ay ayaw niya na mayayabang. Kung nakikiusap sa matatanda, laging gumagamit ng ‘apo’. Nakakahiya naman kung hindi namin tularan. Pasko na at magbago na tayo. Tularan natin ang kababaan loob ng Missiash. Anak siya ng Dios, ngunit tinanngap ng kaparusahan ng kasalanan natin hindi sa Kanya. Di ba?
Posted by Capitan | December 20, 2014, 6:14 amapay no nadayaw ka ti elder ket hanka kanon nga kurakot
Posted by eric shawn | December 20, 2014, 7:33 amGov seeks ouster of co-op
officials
By Dexter A. See | Dec. 22, 2014 at 12:01am
BANGUED, Abra—Gov. Eustaquio Bersamin has asked the
Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Electrification
Administration (NIA) to takeover the operations of their
local electric cooperative because of incompetence by its
officers that lead to frequent blackouts in the province.
Bersamin said the Abra Electric Cooperative (Abreco) was
almost bankrupt and it often renege on its debts to suppliers
and failed to get a reliable source of power because of
incompetence by management.
“We do not want our people to always be suffering the
difficulties of power outages as a result of the disconnection
of our power supply due to unsettled obligations of Abreco,”
Bersamin said.
The cooperative serves about 140,000 consumers in the
province and nearby areas. The area was plunge into
darkness several times in the past few months and national
officials had to intercede for the benefit of the consumers.
The cooperative gets its electricity supply from Aboitiz
Renewables, a geothermal power provider. When Aboitiz
goes on preventive maintenance or suffers technical
problems, it gets power from the expensive spot market and
the added costs are passed on to the consumers.
Bersamin said Abreco general manager, Loreto Seares, Jr
had offered to resign if the cooperative failed to meet its
commitments to the consumers, but he did not honor his
word despite several letters of disconnection presented by
Aboitiz to the cooperative.
The governor called on DOE and NIA to help Abreco find a
reliable power supplier that will guarantee sustainable power
supply to the people of Abra and prevent outages during the
Yuletide season.
Failure of Abreco to find a reliable source of power was a
reason the cooperative could not guarantee cheaper rates
for consumers and it brought the cooperative to near
bankruptcy, Bersamin said.
He said he has sent letters to the DOE and the NIA seeking
the ouster of Abreco officials, but the Abreco board of
directors could initiate action by firing incompetent officers
and hiring good managers.
“They must craft long-term solutions to address power
outages that take its tolls on the social and economic
development of the province,” Bersamin said.
Posted by ELVIE M. | December 22, 2014, 12:10 amLong overdue.
Posted by mines | December 22, 2014, 7:09 pmPower interruption within the franchise area of Abreco on Jan. 24, 2013 was also an issue of delayed protocol between Apri and NGCP. At 10 am on Jan. 24, 2013 Abreco has fully paid its arrears with Aboitiz but lights still went off at 12 pm…the supply of electricity was restored at 3pm because according to the Governor, he paid Abreco’s arrears with the NGCP.
Per the receipt I have dated Jan. 28, 2013 , 9:30 am:
PAYOR: 00203680 TIN 000607111
ABRA ELECTRIC COOP, INC. (ABRECO)
CALABA, BANGUED, ABRA
Payment of DEC PB DEP at BDO COLL ACC DEP AT BDO COLL
ACC ON JAN 25, 2013
BREAKDOWN: Non-VAT Receipts
NGCP PHP 3,846,339.10
Zero-Rated Receipts
ASP 856, 344.89
FT Receipts
NGCP 47, 382.13
____________________________________________________
TOTAL COLLECTIONS (PHP) 4, 750,066.12
vvvvvvvvvvvv
From this receipt, where is that arrears with the NGCP that the governor is claiming he paid to restore the supply of
electricity?
What happened to the CALAMITY FUND withdrawn to supposedly pay NGCP/ABOITIZ ?
Posted by comli2013 | December 27, 2014, 3:39 pmDakayo met nga tumanawtaw ditoy, apay nga diyo padasen ta laing you nga agsurat diay Hubpages . . makakuarta kayo pay. Suna la nga dida acceptaren ti Ilocano wenno anggalog . . masapul nga inglis ken korekek grammar kano.
Posted by balitongeg | January 20, 2015, 11:10 am