The Type Error That May Cause Power Shutdown

 

21st Century Occidental Mindoro.

Hindi ba malaking kalokohan na dahil lamang sa isang typo error ay magkakaroon na ng Power shutdown ang buong Occidental Mindoro?

Noong ika-23 ng Nobyembre 2022 ay sumulat ang Occidental Mindoro Consalidated Power Corporation (OMCPC), ang nag-iisang power provider sa lalawigan, sa Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (OMECO) at ipinapaalam na ang kanilang stock ng fuel ay hanggang Ika-25 lamang ng Nobyembre kaya magkakaroon ng pangkalahatang power shutdown.

Matatandaan na nag-file ng Motion for Clarification ang OMCPC sa ERC noong ika-29 ng Hulyo, 2022 hinggil sa typigraphical error sa fuel efficiency cap ng ERC Order ukol sa Provisional Authority ng MAPSA at Sablayan PSA. Ayon sa OMCPC, ang guaranteed fuel consumption rate ay 0.2800 liters/kWh dapat at hindi PhP 0.2800/kWh. Sa may typo error copy nawala lamang ang salitang “liters”.

Hindi ba't ang problema sa fuel ay problema na ng power supplier at HINDI ng electric cooperative, lalo na naman ng naming mga konsumidor? Kung palpak ang power purchase strategy nyo, bakit kami ang magsa-suffer?

Flashback tayo sa 17^th Century England.

Noong 1631, sina Robert Barker at Martin Lucas ng England ay naglimbag ng King James Bible na naglalaman ng 783, 137 na mga salita na kinakitaan ng ISA lamang typo error. Dahil dito, sina Barker at Lucas ay pinagbayad ng £300 (milyong dolyar na ito ngayon.) ang kompanya at kinansela pa ang lisensya nito. Bakit? Kasi, ang nai-print sa ika-7 Commandment ay “Thou shalt commit adultery.” Nagpiyesta marahil ang mga mapang-apid na Kristiyano noon.

Ngayon, 11 sipi na lamang ang natitira at dahil sa tinawag itong Wicked Bible, karamihan sa mga ito ay sinunog na. Sa may typo error copy, nawala ang salitang “not”. 

Wala pang inilalabas na anuman ang ERC (Energy Regulatory Committee) para itama ang print error na ito. Sabi ng OMCPC, kahit umano halos pilitin na nila, hindi pa rin sila binabayaran ng NPC (National Power Corporation). Muli, pag-aalarma na naman nila, kung hindi makakapag labas ng order ang ERC patungkol dito at hindi makakapag bayad ng subsidiya ang NPC, mapipilitan silang mag shutdown ng kanilang planta sa darating na Biyernes, ganap na 8:00 ng umaga.

Ang hindi ko maintindihan, ano ang batayan ng OMCPC na magpasya mag-isa na ihinto ang delivery ng contracted power sa OMECO na dahil lamang sa typo error sa pagtutukoy ng subsidiya sa UCME? Kung na-reverse nga ng ERC ang penalty na ginawad nila sa OMECO sa maling desisyon nila noon, sa simpleng typo error pa kaya? Big deal nga ba ito kagaya ng "Thou shall commit adultery" sa KJV bible noon? O sinexed up lang para ma-sure ang pagkamal ng subsidiya?

Sa ERC naman po, parang awa na ninyo, baguhin na ninyo ang typo error na yan para wala nang chechebureche. Yan kasing palagiang banta ng total shut down na yan ay kinarer na na parang kampilan ni Democles sa itaas ng aming leeg. Plesse po.

Kani-kanina lang, bilang kagyat na reaksyon sa pagbabanta ng shut down ng OMCPC, sumulat si Occidental Mindoro Rep. Leody “Odie” Tarriela kay Atty. Monalisa C. Dimalanta, chair ng ERC na agad linawin at itama nito ang numero sa kompyutasyon sa pagbabayad ng subsidiya. Kapuri-puri ang agarang aksyon na nito ng kongresista. Una, dahil sa pagpapakita ng bilis ng aksyon at kagagapan niya sa isyu, at ikalawa, sa paglalatag nito ng halimbawa na katukin ang tanggapang dapat na katukin. Maliban sa bansa, basta na lamang uupakan ang OMECO tuwing may brown out at kung wala naman ay mas tahimik pa sa Western Gront ni Erich Maria Remarque, sabi nga. 

Lohika lang mga kapatid. Parehong applicants ang OMCPC at OMECO sa Power Supply Agreement (PSA) sa ERC pero bakit palagi na lang “inaambaan” ng OMCPC ng pamatay na “total shutdown” tayong mga MCO at ang EC? Tuwing magkakamali na lang ang ERC, tayo ang napagbubuntunan ng OMCPC. At kapag walang kuryente, onli OMECO tuloy ang nasisisi. Sa gitna ng mga kabulukan sa industriya ng kuryente sa bansa, mas lalong nararapat nating suhayan ang bandila ng kooperatiba, laban sa buhawi ng mga interes na nais lumukob dito. Igiit ang drastikong repormasyon sa mga 'di makataong pambansang patakaran sa industriya, at panawagang kalusin ang mga kurap sa mga ahensya ng power.

Banta nila: Iyo’t-iyon din. May typo error man o wala, iyo't-iyon din ang layon at kahulugan ng lahat: pera.

Bugbog sarado na naman ang paboritong pynching bag ng bayan nito.

 -------

(Note: The typographical error in the title and some words in this this article is intentional and designed to keep the interest of the readers going.)

The King Light of the World

 

The tradition of light display since Thomas Edison grew like ligbis in a haystack.

Sablayan will have its inaugural switch-on tomorrow, if the weather allowed it, on the day of the Solemnity of Christ the King, November 20, 2022, at our plaza. This is the start of the grandiose nights of lights and colors until the culmination day of our town’s 121^st founding anniversary next year themed “Siento Bente Unong Singkad: Bugso ng Bayang Maunlad”. Mayor Bong Marquez anticipates that this would not only showcase our municipality but symbolically manifest our transformation from “darkness to light”. The upcoming celebration is chaired by SB Marffin B. Dulay.

The Solemnity of Christ the King is the end of the liturgical year for us Catholics. Next week we begin a new year with the first Sunday of Advent. And this is the perfect time to reflect on who is the King of our life. Lumen Gentium describes Christ’s Kingship in these few words, “to reign is to serve.” To translate this in the political term, “authority is service.” This should be the inscription in every heart of a Christian public servant of today. Or at least, we continue to try.

For almost three years, the whole country experienced darkness, so to speak. The COVID-19 pandemic, the continuous incidents of natural calamities, the negative effects of rice tariffication in our economy, the incidents of un-peace in upland communities, the decades-long power shortage and monopoly, and another unspeakable litany of woes and chaos, both personal and public. In real-life situations, we reach for the light switch when we enter an unlit room, and we rely on our buildup of knowledge to shed light on our lives.

Light permeates into every crack and fissure of our lives and beings, whether visible, tangible regarding warmness, or metaphorically enlightening. This is how the good mayor sees the imagery of this project aside of course from the delight and entertainment it would bring to his constituents, our visitors, and tourists, especially the children. Lights attract almost all living things. Fishes, animals, insects, plants, birds,- well, except for bats (?) and owls!

The origin of light display before Christmas is traced back to the tradition in Germany and England of hanging candles on trees and displaying them on windows. Flash forward a few later years when Thomas Edison, as I have said, presented the first outdoor electric Christmas light display to the world, and the rest is history. The tradition reached this amazing and trailblazing town in Occidental Mindoro following what Mayor Sonny Pablo of Rizal has successfully started as an annual event. Admittedly, Mayor Bong borrowed this best practice from Mayor Sonny. The Rizal initiative became the inspiration.

By the way, Mayor Rey Ladaga of San Jose fully decorated the historic Pandurucan Bridge and the Town Plaza with the same magical Christmas lights and colors. The ceremonial switch-on in San Jose happened last Friday. It attracted thousands of onlookers from all over the town and is now viral on social media. An array of performances from local talents graced the occasion.

God’s Kingship is not about self-serving, arrogant, and unwise power, but about a God who is infinite love. Accepting Christ as King means that we strive to live like the Good Shepherd. The Gospel of Matthew sums it up best,- I think, when it says: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, to give his life as a ransom for the many” (Mt. 20:28). Amen. (I missed my former job as a Church pastoral worker citing biblical passages in every official communication and engagement especially this time of the year.)

May the Feast of Christ the King change and influence the way we think, we work,- the way we spend our time of leisure, how we appreciate light displays, the way we pray, and the way we treat our clients, our subordinates, co-workers, and our superiors.

May the Star of Bethlehem guide us all to the mission of the sweet innocent Child in the manger who as an adult angrily cleansed the temple with a whip in His hand that led to His passion and ultimate crucifixion but liberated us from our sins.

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” -John 8:12 . (Told you.)

Enjoy the King Light and the decorative lights, my beloved readers!

---------

Photo courtesy of John Reniel Barraca, Office of the Mayor

 

Pacquiao-Margarito Remembered and the Slugfest in Mamburao

On November 13, 2022, the whole boxing world will commemorate the 12^th anniversary of Manny Pacquiao being declared an octuple champion. Also, on that day, in the event of the week-long 72^nd Founding Anniversary celebration of Occidental Mindoro, a punching festival will be held dubbed “Babakan ng Kamao sa Kapitolyo”. It will be a spectacular fistfight of our local amateur boxers and professional fights featuring aspiring professionals from all over. The amateur bouts are open to all fighters from Occidental Mindoro.

It is almost impossible that the feat of Pacquiao to win major world titles in eight different weight classes to be ever replicated. He is the octuple champion, and that is beyond repetition. Filipino living legend Manny Pacquiao is the only boxer in history to have won twelve major world titles in eight different weight divisions. Pacquiao achieved the feat when he defeated Antonio Margarito via a unanimous decision to win the WBC super welterweight title on, as I have mentioned above, November 13, 2010, at the Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas, USA.

The main event between two tyro professionals is promoted by Cecilio Alvarez of the Sablayan and Sta. Cruz-based JBoy Boxing Promotions was accredited by the Philippine Games and Amusement Board (GAB) in 2010, the same year when Pacquiao became the octuple champion. This event, at Capitol Plaza in the capital town of Mamburao, will feature budding and aspiring professionals like James Pacamalan and Henry Lumalan. The Pacamalan versus Lumalan will be the afternoon's main event next Sunday. Pacamalan last fought on June 18, 2022, in Kitaotao, Bukidnon, and TKOed Armando Literiano in a rather funny way. Click YouTube and see it for yourself.

Alvarez, now a police officer and was once a street boxer as a teenager, thinks of many untapped and unrecognized boxing potentials in the province, he said, “Nakikita ko po kasi maraming boxers natin na magagaling subalit hindi nabibigyan ng pansin.” The promoter has a boxing pedigree. He added that his maternal grandfather, Santos “Very Gooding” Abela was a known amateur puncher in Palawan. He also has an uncle who fought for Sablayan, Pol Abela, and was a regional star during the 80s.

On the upcoming slugfest at the Capitol on Sunday, under the tutelage of the legendary local great Joe Francisco, Sablayan will be parading two of its very best pugilists. They share the same first name: John Alcantara Bulan and John Paul Amores. Pabling Serrano Jr., secretary of the SAMARICA Alliance Boxing Association (SABA), the sanctioning body of the amateur side of the event, also informed this scribe that SABA’s prexy is San Jose Vice-Mayor Sonny Javier.

Aside from Bulan and Amores, the participating boxers include Darwin Laquihon, Eiron Bernardo, Johnson Remobus, and John Lorenz Dela Cruz. From Rizal, they will have Ronel Villanueva, Christian Talacero, Rodrigo Hermoso, and Jansel Edep. Dave Ulay Bautista is the lone representative from Calintaan. The host municipality will field in John Christian De Jesus, Arnel De Jesus, Ricardo Segundo, and John Delle Amar. On the other hand, the main event will be contested by Mark Justine Mendez, Kenvin Prado, Rio Rivero, Chris Talacero, and Ramil Salcedo.

Calling all boxing enthusiasts, come one come all. The mayhem will start at 1:00 PM and by the way, it’s admission is free!

After 72 years of defying the odds, political, economic, cultural, social, and even spiritual, under its new leadership, citizens like you and me must take part in history in our current roles and capacities. We must both fight in the range and ring of, so to speak, history-making wins as fighters and not just spectators.

Just like how Pacquiao laid a savage beating on Margarito even though the PacMan was outweighed by 17 pounds, we will battle them out in complete humility in the coming years.

Allow me to end by quoting Pacquaio after November 13, 2010 fight, “I fought a very good fight and the atmosphere at Cowboys Stadium was so memorable. I do think the fight should have been stopped. Margarito took a lot of punishment." But all boxing pundits know that after the Margarito fight, the PacMan passed his prime but in our case as a province, we are just starting to slug it out. To quote the fictitious Rocky Balboa, “It ain’t about how hard you can hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”

Keep on punchin’, folks, and happy anniversary!

--------

Reference:

https://www.espn.ph/boxing/story/_/id/15132011/ranking-manny-pacquiao-eight-division-titles

Photo:

https://www.worldboxingnews.net/2010/11/14/manny-pacquiao-antonio-margartio/