It’s Summer in the Philippines. What’s new about that, would you probably answer. The reason I am writing this is to tell you about what’s happening in the Philippines these days with electricity and water supply.
It is very sunny every day with a few small clouds. Temperatures during the day are between 32 and 36 degrees Celsius (90 to 97 Fahrenheit).The moment the sun is up (around 5.30 AM) you can feel the warmth coming. At 8 AM it is already hot. Late in the afternoon (after 5 PM) it starts cooling down a little which continues during the evening and night. Early morning (at 5 AM) around 25 C (77 F). Electric fans are running almost whole day in lots of houses. Where available air conditioners are working at a high level, consuming lots of electricity.
You probably all remember the Typhoon Ondoy hitting the Philippines last September and the flooding which lasted several weeks. It took several weeks for all the water to have disappeared in a few regions.
December, January and February supposed to be colder and rainy from time to time. Only this year February was already very warm and it didn’t rain these three months. In October is has rained a few days and also a few times in November. But that was all the rain we’ve got here in the Manila Region. Other parts of the country more or less the same. At the moment there is a water shortage and the government is thinking of stopping the water supply to the houses a few hours a day.
To produce electricity there are several ways used in the Philippines. There are power plants using oil or coal to produse the electricity. Some plants are using diesel. Others are using geothermal resources.(This is hot steam coming from the earth in volcanic areas. This steam is captured and brought through a pipe system to a powerplant where the steam is used to produce electricity.) And there are several plants using falling water to produce the needed electricity. They do that by using (artificial) water basins in mountainous areas. The water reservoirs are situated on lots of places in the country. The problem here is that those reservoirs have a low level of water because it didn’t rain (enough) the last few months and it probably won’t until May or June. This also has it’s effects on agriculture. These reservoirs are not releasing enough for the said irrigation, for drinking water and for producing electricity.
Electricity has been temporarily cut off already practically all over the Philippines. Lots of regions and cities have brownouts for a few hours a day. According to the officials this is for maintenance reasons on several power plants all over the country. I am afraid that the world market price for crude oil is the problem with this. Many of the power plants are running on oil / diesel. The Philippine power plants don’t have enough funds to buy enough oil on the market, or finds the price too high. On the other hand the electricity prices in the country have gone up again but the supply is interrupted several hours a day. In our house and subdivision we haven’t had the brown outs yet, but I am afraid it won’t take long for it to happen here too.
The changing of the weather is blamed to El Nino. A weather phenomenon which hits the country ever few years. Check the NOAA website HERE for more details about El Nino.
Other people claim that this weather change and/or El Nino is caused by the global warming. I don’t know what is the reason. I can only tell you it is hot every day and to cool down I have to drink a lot of water . . . . . .
I would prefer San Mig above water (it has more taste after all), but to start with San Mig in the morning . . . . . , just coffee will do at that time of the day ;-) One other very important thing: the price of San Mig has been raised from 19 to 20 pesos lately. Would this also be the result of the water shortage ???????
Filipino time:
Hello Jan,
So tell me, how does a retired expat doing or coping with the hot weather in the Philippines?
Nice website, although I just read Moving to the Phils section.
I like your positive attitude and downright comments about my country and its culture and people…
God Bless you and your wife…
Enjoy the Philippines and its warm, friendly people!
Thanks
lito
Hi Lito,
Thanks for visiting my website, I am glad that you like it.
As a retired expat I do not do much. I do not have to work or something. I can do what I like to do.
But I definetely like the Philippines, the culture, the friendly people and the sun and a lot more….
yah I know col place to explore summer fever!
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There are several nice places where one can go in summer.
I have removed your advertisement announcement. If you like to advertize on my site, just check the proper page for my rates.
Hi Jan, yep, it has been very hot here, and no rain for us in Guimaras, the Western Visayas for months. You’re right, as soon as that sun comes up you can already feel the heat. Man, I have to get an air con soon!
Hi Dave,
Do you have enough electricity in Guimares for an aircon? or is this apparatus running on lizzard poop and carabao shit?
Thanks for visiting my site again.
We also feel, here in New South Wales, the effects of El Nino. We have had, earlier this summer, extremely hot days with temperatures up to 43 and 44 degrees Celsius. They never go up that high in the Philippines but there you have to cope with the humidity as well.
When I was a kid in Holland we learned at school that the highest temperature ever measured in Holland was higher than the highest temperature measured in Indonesia. I don’t know whether that is still the case but this bit of trivia nicely illustrated the fact that the tropics have high humidity rather than very high temperatures.
Arie,
Temperatures in the Philippines can go as high as 38 C. Very rare if they go higher than that. The humidity is the biggest problem as you mention.
We just stay calm, do not do much and drink a lot.
I remember from my life in Holland that temperatures also can go very high with a high humidity.
Hi Jan, up here in Northern Luzon I think they seeded the clouds last week and we got a little rain but it just made the humidity that much higher. Everyday when the sun starts to set the wind stops and it gets real muggy until about 7 PM then the wind starts again and cools down. If there is a brown out during those early evening hours 5-6 PM it is time for a drinking session to make it tolerable.
Hi Marvin,
It has been showering here too a few days ago, but not enough to remove allthe dust. Let’s hope there will be more rain the coming days with this ‘far away’ first typhoon of this year.
The power where I’m at in La Union has gone out a few times this month, usually for about 2 hours at a time. I’ve got a backup supply for my computer, but it gets too hot without air conditioning when the power goes out during the hottest time of the afternoon.
Hi David,
Thanks for visiting my website.
Until now we didn’t experience brown-outs here, but it might come one day soon.
Good you have a source of power for your PC. But if you do not have a fan to cool it……. Maybe there’s a way to make something with car batteries?
Hi Jan,
My computer is fine in the heat. It’s me that gets too hot
David,
When you get hot, just take a San Mig to cool down !!!
Hi Jan,
Sorry I haven’t been around for a while. I have been following the power situation in the news. More rain would certainly help the situation but what is really needed are more power plants. Even with all power plants running the demand continues to rise and the excess generating capicity is shrinking. It will probably be several years before there is any real relief from this situation.
You can use an invertor and a car battery to power a few appliances during a brownout but it is much more expensive if you are trying to keep everything running.
Hi Tom,
Good to see you back.
We just have to get used to brown-outs. They do not take long time in the cities. Aside from that: it is quiet without tv’s, radio’s, karaoke machines and other noise producing machineries.
One thing is less comfortable: fridges do not cool the San Mig anymore !!!!!
Yes that is true. If you have any spare space in the Fridge freeze bags of ice in the freezer and a couple of extra gallons of water in the ref section. This will hold the cold in longer.
You can get an ice chest for the beer so you don’t have to keep opening the fridge.