SM Baliwag cites Earth Hour benefits

BALIWAG, Bulacan—A local mall here cited benefits in participating in the annual Earth Hour celebrations saying they saved energy equivalent to consumption of 25 households since hosting the event four years ago.

As this developed, hundreds of Bulakenyos joined the Earth Hour celebrations in major malls in the province as the provincial government urged them to participate in the annual one hour switch off on Saturday night.

However, the annual activity in the province remain as a private initiated project as only a handful of local government units joined the Earth Hour activities.

Beverly Cruz, public relations officer of SM City Baliwag said they that every year they joined host the annual Earth Hour, they were able to save at least 15 percent in their daily energy consumption.

Citing cumulative records, he said they were able to save at least P51,300 in the last four years.

That savings is equivalent to energy consumption of at least  51 houselholds that consumes P1,000 in electricity every month.

Cruz also disclosed that SM City Baliwag and other SM mall branches are planning to install light emitting diode (LED) lights in the malls this year.

The said LED lights will replace chloroflourescent light (CFL) bulbs within the malls which replaced incandescent bulbs years ago.

“We continue to aim for more energy efficient and environment friendly operations in our malls,” she said noting that the plan is mandatory based on orders of the SM Group management.

Cruz also said that plan is part of their mall management’s attempt to further encourage use of environment friendly technologies that marked annual Earth Hour celebrations here.

Last year, the celebrations was highlighted by solar powered improvised fireflies inside hundreds of plastic bottles.

On Saturday night, the celebration was highlighted by fire dances and use of LED lights by hundreds of Bulakenyos.

Two other Earth Hour activities were celebrated at SM City Marilao and at the Robinson’s Place Malolos.

The celebration was even endorsed by Governor Wilhelmino Alvarado in his weekly radio program over Radyo Bulacan on Saturday morning.

However, Bulakenyos noted the lack of related activities for the Earth Hour initiated by local government units in the province.

A local mayor and a municipal councilor who asked not to be named said they don’t even know what Earth Hour is all about.

However, they vowed to initiate similar activities next year and implement energy saving programs within their offices.  Dino Balabo

Angat Dam is earthquake resistant--Napocor

MALOLOS CITY—Angat Dam is safe and resistant to earthquake, the National Power Corporation (Napocor) said and assured the safety of Bulakenyos living downstream of the dam.

This came as the Napocor launched its information and education campaign on Angat Dam Operation in Norzagaray, Bulacan the other day.

During the launch of the campaign participated by municipal disaster risk reduction officials, planning officer and social workers, Engineer Manny Monteverde of the Napocor Dams, Reservoirs and Waterways division described the 47-years old dam.

 He said that Angat Dam is a rock-fill type of dam and that this type of dam which is resistant to damage from earthquakes.

Monteverde explained that the dam’s capacity to resist earthquakes is due to its inherent elasticity and self-healing characteristics.

He also also made clear that the dam has no crack saying “walang lamat ang dam.”

This in reference to news reports about five years ago that the dam have cracks.

With regards to presence of the West Marikina Valley Faultline which is said to be situated some 200 meters east of the dam’s dike, a geologist from the Engineering Development Corporation of the Philippines (EDCOP) also tried to allay fears of Bulakenyos.

Dr. Ramon Quebral, a structural geologist from the EDCOP said that the theory on the West Valley Fault in connection with Angat Dam is only a premise that is yet to be studied and verified further.

EDCOP is the partner of the Tonkin & Taylor International based in New Zealand that conducted a six month feasibility study on the integrity of the Angat Dam which was completed in May 2012.

In the said study, EDCOP and Tonkin & Taylor did not conduct a site specific seismic study on the Angat Dam to verify the presence of the splay of the fault line.

In an earlier interview, Bulacan Governor Wilhelmino Alvarado disclosed that the said faultline is used by a former administrator of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) to justify construction of another dam in Rizal province.

Citing warnings from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvolcs), Alvarado said that the said faultline can move anytime might cause a breach on the Angat Dam.

For her part, Gladys Cruz–Sta. Rita, president of the Napocor also tried to allay fears on possible dam break.

She said the other day, “We must not give in to fear but should not abandon caution."

As a former Provincial Administrator of Bulacan, Sta. Rita said that she came to the infprmation drive not only to speak on behalf of the corporation that has been in the dam industry for 77 years with a pool of the most talented engineers in the country, but also as a concerned Bulakenya.

“Ang aming misyon sa National Power Corporation ay ang maging tagapagbantay at kakampi ninyo sa matagalang kaligtasan at pakinabang sa yamang tubig na tuwina ay gamit natin sa araw-araw na pamumuhay,” she said.

The information drive also discussed why Angat Dam spills water in relation to possibilities of over-topping or overflowing of water that may cause dam failure.

“We only release water when our dam reaches its critical spilling level, this is to avoid over tapping that can impose greater risk in the province of Bulacan. We are only protecting the integrity of our dam,” explained Engineer Russel Rigor of Napocor’s Flood Forecasting and Warning System Division.

He enlightened the participants on Angat River’s flow capacity, Napocor’s warning stations and flood forecasting facilities.

It was also clarified in the presentations that recent floods that hit Calumpit, Paombong, and Hagonoy towns cannot be attributed solely to Angat Dam spilling, but to the natural tendency of these towns to serve as catch basin for the Pampanga River System.   Dino Balabo

German introduces smart LED technology developed after Yolanda

Wallraf points to his smart LED display installed in a restaurant in Malolos City. DB

MALOLOS CITY—How smart is the signage that you’re using now?

This is the main question answered by a German national four months after the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda in Eastern Visayas where his family was trapped last year.

Thomas Wallraf, 50, a German national said current technologies involving Light Emitting Diode (LED) is not as smart as many though it to be. However, he is introducing a smarter technology that will improve the functionality of LED signages.

It is called the intelligent LED where information that is flashed on LED display can be changed anytime remotely. “Even if I am in Davao City and the LED display is here, I can change the message anytime,” he said noting that the LED display he is now introducing is equipped with a GSM modem connected to a cellular phone.

Wallraf disclosed that he came up with the idea after the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda in Eastern Visayas last year. He said that it took him almost a week before getting in touch with his family. “When I finally reached Tacloban City, I saw disorder due to lack of proper information,” he said noting that people do not know what to do.

He said hundreds of military personnel spent a lot of time in trying to control long queues and telling people what to do.

“They could have saved time and effort if they have the intelligent LED technology at that time,” he said adding that he personally asked his friends in Germany to come up with a new software in the utilization of LED display.

Wallraf said GS Electronics based in Leverkussen, Germany responded within months and came up with the intelligent LED display. He said the LED technology has been around for more than two decades, but it is usually connected to a computer or a laptop.

“Now, we don’t need a laptop computer to feed in messages on intelligent LED, we only need a cellular phone,” he said. Aside from disaster hit areas, Wallraf said his LED technology can be used to alert people days before disasters.

He said it can be installed in front of churches, public markets and places frequented by many people who can easily read the messages that are displayed. He said the messages can be changed remotely as often as an operator want.

It can also be installed along the highways or on board a pickup truck or any large vehicle. The cost for Wallraf’s intelligent LED technology starts at P55,000 per package that includes a meter long and 16 centimeters high display.

He said any customer can order a larger display but it will cost more. Walraff said their display can show 16 running characters at a time, and have a capacity of 160 characters per message. Dino Balabo

Ex-beauty queen survived attack

Photo from Cervantes' Facebook account.

HAGONOY, Bulacan—A 32-year old former beauty queen turn municipal councilor here was shot in the head 7:30PM Tuesday in Paombong town.

The victim survived the attack, but it was enough to raise alarm bells for residents here due to series of crimes since December when a family was massacred, followed by a killing of retired teacher and a police officer last January.

Senior Superintendent Joel Orduna, province director of the Bulacan police identified the victim as Francis Dianne Cervantes, 32, single, and resident of Barangay Mercado here.

A third term municipal councilor, Cervantes won the Miss Earth Philippines-Fire title in 2006. 

Initial investigation disclosed that Cervantes was on board a Sym motorcycle with license plates 8913-RP and was on the way to her family house at Long Valley Subdivision in Barangay San Isidro 2, Paombong, Bulacan  when she was shot in the head around 7:30 Tuesday night.

Witnesses told investigators that two motorcycle riding men approach the victim and shot her repeatedly.

Some even said that they heard at least six gun fires.

The suspect immediate fled to unknown direction, while bystanders came to rescue the former beauty queen.

She was rushed to the Divine Word Hospital at Barangay San Pablo here for first air treatment and was transferred to Bulacan Medical Center, then to University of Santo Tomas Hospital in Manila.

Vice Mayor Pedro Santos told PromdiNEWS in a telephone interview that Cervantes suffered at least three gunshot wounds.

This was echoed by Sol Santos, a village councilor who said that she was told that Cervantes suffered gunshot wounds in the neck, in the head and on her back.

The vice mayor also said that despite head injury, Cervantes is still conscious when rushed to Divine Word Hospital.  Dino Balabo

Angat Dam rehab delayed anew

MALOLOS CITY—The proposed rehabilitation of the Angat Dam is stalled again due to the delay in the privatization of its 246-megawatt power generating facility.

This developed as Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-Water) failed to secure a business permit from the municipality of Norzagaray, a ranking official of the National Power Corporation (Napocor) said on Saturday.

K-Water is the winning bidder in the privatization of the 246-megawatt Angat River Hydroelectric Power Plant (Arhepp) which remains under the management of the Napocor. Engineer Rodolfo German, Arhepp general manager, said the planned take-over of K-Water on March 25 will not push through.

He said this is due to non-issuance of a business permit by the municipal government of Norzagaray, Bulacan.

German said Norzagaray is demanding payment of at least P25 million for the business permit of K-Water.

Representatives of the Korean company, German said, are still coordinating with their principals in Seoul on how to go about what they perceived as “the lone obstruction” before they can operate the Arhepp.

The delay is the third in four months after the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (Psalm) Corporation made two separate announcements on the possible take-over of K-Water.

The first was in last December, then it was moved to the end of January; and when that failed, Psalm announced that March 25 is the new target date for a formal take over. The failure of K-Water to take over Arhepp also reflects the failure of Bulacan Governor Wilhelmino Alvarado to intervene, observed German.

But the governor said that he already talked to Norzagaray Mayor Alfredo Germar last January to issue a business permit to K-Water and collect taxes from them later. Alvarado’s intervention came as the province demanded an immediate implementation of the proposed P5.7 billion rehabilitation on the Angat Dam’s main dike which experts said might be breached by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake.

He even said that if the March 25 takeover pushes through, the bidding for the rehabilitation could start as early as May. But that is to be realized since K-Water’s formal takeover of Arhepp is stalled for the third time.

German said with the latest failure of K-Water to take over Arhepp, the implementation of the proposed rehabilitation on the dam will have to wait.

However, he said the implementation might still be possible before the end of the year if the take-over of K-Water will push through. Earlier, the MWSS said that they withheld the P5.7-billion funding for the rehabilitation of the dam because part of the contract of K-Water involves spending for the rehabilitation.

K-Water won the bid in the privatization of Arhepp two years ago, but was stopped by petitions filed before the Supreme Court. Last year, the Supreme Court gave K-Water a favorable decision after it found a local partner with the group of businessman Ramon Ang. Dino Balabo

PHL lags behind ASEAN neighbors in terms of water

Water source at Biak-Na-Bato National Park in San Miguel, Bulacan.  DB

MALOLOS CITY—The Philippines ranked ninth of 11 Southeast Asian countries in terms of total actual renewable water resources per capita, according to United Nations (UN) data.

This came as the UN led the World Water Day on March 22.

The UN report also showed that among 11 ASEAN countries, the Philippines also ranked ninth in dam capacity per capita; fourth in population with access to improved water sources; and fifth in percentage of population with access to improved sanitation.

The report defined the total actual renewable water resources as the maximum theoretical yearly amount of water actually available for a country at a given moment (TARWR) per capita.

It also said that “it takes into consideration the long-term average annual flow of rivers and recharge of aquifers generated from endogenous precipitation, the flow of bordering rivers and lakes, and the water inflow and outflow secured by treaties.”

In this category, the Philippines ranked ninth with only 121.32 cubic meters per inhabitant per year.

It is way behind Lao Democratic Republic with 54,565; Cambodia with 34,061;  Brunei Darrusallam with 21,684; and Malaysia with 20,752 cubic meters per inhabitant per year.

The Philippines also ranked ninth behind 10 other Asean countries in dam capacity per capita.

The UN defined the above category as the total cumulative storage capacity of all dams in a country per capita.

They stressed that the dam capacity indicates the sum of the theoretical initial capacities of all dams, which does not change with time.

However, the UN report noted that the amount of water stored within any dam is likely less than the capacity due to silting and due to the fact that few dams operate at capacity.

UN report showed that despite presence of large dams in the Philippines, its capacity per capita is only 70.76 cubic meter per inhabitant.

This record made the Philippines just above Singapore with 15.16; and Timor Leste which showed no record in UN report.

The Democratic Republic of Lao again topped this category with 1,287 cubic meter per capita followed by Thailand with 1,117; Malaysia with 848.70; and Myanmar with 329.50.

For population’s access to improved water sources, the Philippines ranked  fourth with 92 percent of population.

It is behind Singapore and Malaysia,both with 100 percent; followed by Thailand (96) and Vietnam with 95.

The UN report defined the category as “the percentage of the population who use any of the following types of water supply for drinking: piped water, public tap, borehole or pump, protected well, protected spring or rainwater. Improved water sources do not include vendor-provided water, bottled water, tanker trucks or unprotected wells and springs.”

For percentage of population with access to improved sanitation, the Philippines ranked fifth with 74 percent; behind Singapore (100 percent),Thailand and Malaysia (96),Brunei (94) and Myanmar with 76.

Access to improved sanitation is defined as “the proportion of the urban and rural population with access to facilities that hygienically separate human excreta from human, animal and insect contact.”  Dino Balabo

ANGAT DAM: Inconvenient truths

Angat Dam as seen fromHilltopobservation deck.  DB

Text messages and rumors has been spreading in Bulacan about a massive flood this March in relation to planned rehabilitation of the Angat Dam. 

Unfortunately, both messages are not true.

No flood will inundate Bulacan this March, unless there is a massive typhoon that will hit the province and Angat Dam in particular.

So far, typhoon entering the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) are tracked by the weather bureau down south.

How about the rehabilitation of Angat Dam?

Well, you got played by some creative minds out there.

Contrary to information you received, it rehabilitation of the Angat Dam will not start anytime soon.

 

A BulSU student enjoys the serenity at Angat Dam. db

For starters, where’s the fund? And who will finance the P5.7B rehabilitation of Angat Dam.

If you are following or monitoring news reports, you probably read or heard that the P5.7B allocated by the national government was withhold.

Meaning no fund is released.

Why?

Because in late last year, (early September) the Supreme Court affirmed the winning bid of Korea-Water Resources Corporation (K-Water) for the 246-megawatt Angat River Hydro Electric Power Plant (Arhepp).

According to Gerry Esquivel, administrator of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), part of the K-Water contract is spending for the rehabilitation of the dam.

Take note that aside from Esquivel, the same information was affirmed by Gladys Sta. Rita, the president of National Power Corporation (Napocor).

Napocor is a government own and controlled corporation (GOCC) which manages Arhepp.

Take not also that MWSS and Napocor are the ones speaking, not K-Water.

 

Angat Dam in Norzagaray, Bulacan. db

K-Water had not issued any statement in relation to possible allocation of fund for Angat Dam rehab.

It is maybe due to the fact that until now, K-Water has not formally take-over of the Arhepp.

Going back to the issue on whether Angat Dam rehabilitation will take place this summer.

The answer is unlikely.

First, K-Water have to assume management of Arhepp (which they failed todo in December, 2013, January 2014 and might not be able to do this March 25.)

Second, in case of K-Water take-over, will they assume the responsibility of allocating billions of pesos in the rehabilitation of 45-year old Angat Dam?

Third, in case K-Water assume responsibility after taking over, will they use the six month feasibility study on the integrity of the Angat Dam conducted by Tonkin & Taylor and Engineering Development Corporation of the Philippines from December 2011 to may 2012?

 

Engineer Roderick Dela Cruz. db

Fourth, or will K-Water conduct another study to expand earlier study by Tonkin and Edcop. Bulakenyo dam safety expert Engr. Roderick Dela Cruz who is based in the US estimated that another study will take another two to three years.

These are some of the inconvenient truths about the Angat Dam that every Bulakenyo should know and share with others for intelligent decision.

Now, the question is what we should do aside from praying.

It time that we ask our local officials what do they know about this issue and come up with doable plans while we wait for the rehabilitation of the Angat Dam.  Dino Balabo