ZAMBOANGA AIRPORT
ZAMBOANGA CITY, MARCH 27, 2012 (PHILSTAR) By Roel Pareño – Power at the
Zamboanga International Airport here was partly restored as of yesterday but
personnel worked around the clock to restore power to approach indicator lights
along the runway to allow night landing, an airport official revealed.
Airport manager Celso Bayabos said the approach lights guide incoming
aircraft for landing at night.
He said the precision approach indicator lights and the approach lights power
lines have not been restored, which caused them to limit flight operations
during nighttime.
The approach lights were among the electronic devices that were damaged by
fluctuating electrical power during power outages in Mindanao.
Bayabos said their air navigation personnel have partially restored some of
the equipment's power lines that included the power supply for the control tower
communication system and the two-way system runway lights.
Bayabos said they could not yet determine when they could fully normalize the
equipment system since some of them have to be replaced with imported parts.
[PHOTO - Dipolog City from Zamboanga International Airport]
Bayabos said he notified the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines
(CAAP) in Manila of the need to replace the constant circuit regulator (CCR), a
wiring apparatus that is not locally available.
He said he was informed by the CAAP deputy director for air navigation that
they would be salvaging the CCR from other airports in the country that are not
currently using such equipment.
Following the equipment malfunction incident, Bayabos admitted they started
to experience trauma every time blackout occurs.
Bayabos noted the local power producer was announcing another power outage
but the intermittent blackouts and sudden surges of electricity have caused some
of the electronic equipment to malfunction.
The intermittent power outages and surges forced them to limit operations of
the airport to daytime hours, he said.
"Currently, we are operating only daytime flights and the airline companies
have to adjust their flight schedules," Bayabos said.
Malacañang said the government is addressing the problem of power outages in
Mindanao, repeating what President Aquino said over the weekend that the
administration is aware of the situation.
"We are continuing to work to address the situation in Mindanao," deputy
presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.
When asked whether the government can guarantee there will be no blackouts
both in Metro Manila and Mindanao during the Holy Week, Valte replied: "The
situation in Mindanao is different from here in Luzon."
"The President clarified some reports of a looming power crisis in Metro
Manila. The President said there is a power surplus that is available to Luzon,"
Valte said.
She also pointed to what the President said on Friday that contingency
measures the government had in place have "averted" a possible power outage in
Metro Manila.
"So (the measures included power) rotation to spread the load if one of the
power substations has a problem," Valte added.
As for Mindanao, short- and long-term solutions have already been laid out by
the President following the proposal of Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras.
"The short-term solutions have been presented as well as the long-term
solutions and the government is working to address it. Those short-term
solutions are really the power barges and the President did state during the
briefing that the power distributors have to share in the cost of those barges,"
she said.
'Man made' crisis
[PHOTO - CEBU PACIFIC AT THE ZAMBOANGA INT'L
AIRPORT]
Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, however, said the electricity
supply crisis in Mindanao "is artificial and man-made."
"We have enough power plants that can supply the electricity needs of our
people. We have hydroelectric plants. We even have power barges. We cannot
understand that supply is still short," he said.
According to Rodriguez, he received information that some companies engaged
in generating and distributing electricity are manipulating supply to force
prices up.
He urged the government to thoroughly look into the power situation in
Mindanao and punish generation, transmission and distribution companies found to
be manipulating supply.
Rodriguez cited the statement of an official of the Department of Energy that
there are enough power plants in Mindanao but that the current shortage is an
issue of transmission and distribution.
Earlier, Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles said some people are sabotaging power
supply for their own or their companies' benefit.
Over the weekend, Zamboanga City was hit by a blackout, forcing airport
authorities to cancel flights.
[PHOTO -C17 Globemater (US Airforce) landing at Zamboanga
International Airport]
As an immediate solution to the power shortage problem, Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy
Casiño urged the administration to invoke the provisions of the Constitution on
emergencies and temporarily take over and run power companies.
He said a drastic situation like the one obtaining in Mindanao calls for
drastic action.
"It appears that there is enough power supply. The authorities should find
out where the problem lies," he said.
While Rodriguez described the power crisis in Mindanao as man-made, Rep.
Sherwin Tugna of the party-list group Citizens Battle Against Corruption said
the situation has been brought about "by a confluence of the dry season, climate
change and the continued pillage of forests."
"The power shortage in Mindanao can only be addressed by looking at it from a
wider perspective. One is the reality of climate change. Compared to the
temporal aspect of the dry season, this is longer- lasting. It permanently
impacts on the generation of power from dams," Tugna said.
He said another factor is deforestation. "It does not really matter if it is
state-sanctioned or illegal. The continued destruction of our few remaining
forests progressively decreases the water levels of our dams."
"Concerned officials have confirmed that logging in Mindanao's sensitive
areas continues, despite multiple tragedies that occurred last year."
Tugna pointed out Mindanao generates a sizable amount of its electricity from
hydropower plants. He said the two issues – deforestation and electrification –
are inextricable, entangled and very connected.
"For the region's power production to stop plunging, the felling of trees
should cease," he said.
Tugna described the proposed solution proposed of the Department of Energy to
lessen power shortages in Mindanao – river dredging – as temporary, reactive and
a mere palliative. – Delon Porcalla, Jess Diaz
FROM THE MINDANAO EXAMINER
Zambo airport nadale rin ng power outages! Sunday,
March 25, 2012 01:26:15 PM
[PHOTO - Ang wasak na Philippine Air Force OV-10 bomber na bumagsak
sa loob ng Edwin Andrews Air Base sa Zamboanga City. Nasira ang power regulator
ng Zamboanga International Airport dahil sa patuloy na power outages. Ang
militar ay gumagamit sa runway ng nasabing aiport. (Mindanao
Examiner Photo)]
ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 25, 2012) – Dahil sa patuloy na
power outages sa Zamboanga City ay nasira umano ang "electric current regulator
box" sa power room ng Zamboanga Internation Airport kung kaya't apektado ang
operasyon nito sa kasalukuyan.
Nagkaroon ng short circuit sa naturang kagamitan dahil araw-araw na blackout
sa Zamboanga at umaabot pa ito ng 8 oras. Marami na rin reklamo ang mga
residente dahil sa mga nasirang kagamitan sanhi ng power outages.
Inaapura naman ng Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines ang paggawa sa
nasabing regulator box na malaki ang epekto sa instrument landing system sa
runway ng airport, partikular sa gabi.
Maraming problema ang Zamboanga International Airport at wala pa rin itong
air conditioning system at maraming butas ang runway na siyang inirereklamo ng
mga piloto. Nakadagdag pa rito ang Galaxy cargo plane ng US military na
nagdadala ng kung anu-anong mga kagamitan sa Zamboanga City.
Malayong-malayo sa standards ng mga ibang airports sa mundo ang Zamboanga
International Airport. (Mindanao Examiner)
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE
NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS
ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
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