Reaction Paper: OPEMAN Forum by Rocky Gabatin Spentrep AGSB H de la Costa,

Rocky Gabatin

S09 - ENTREP

     The OPEMAN forum was very enlightening and informative. Despite this, I wished that Atty. Layugan had shared more concrete examples and/or personal experiences in relation to the status of the Energy sector. This would have been more appealing for me rather than focusing her lecture on the regulations. For me, the role of ERC is very critical in energy prices, as depicted in the recent intervention of ERC on WESM, so I find it important to understand the current energy issues in relation to how ERC is helping in solving those issues.

Insights into the Power/Energy Outlook in the Philippines - from the Energy Forum by Opeman

These are some of the insights I gathered from the "Empowering Juan" Forum last Monday March 24, 2014 courtesy of MM Opeman group under Prof Arguelles and from the resource persons of ERC, DOE and PCCI (who formerly ran a 400 mW) power barge:

1.  The EPIRA unbundled the power into:   Gencos, Transmission and Grid, DU (Distribution Units - Retailers like Meralco and cooperative and customers.  In other words, Napocor was  privatized. The NG is still paying the subsidized power under Napocor (when they were said to be losing at the rate of P1m/minute)  So when John Galicia asked question on govt buying into Meralco....