DOE ensures no blackouts in Luzon, Visayas for Pacquiao bout

Fans of boxing champion Manny Pacquiao in Visayas and Luzon will not experience power outages during his fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 3 (May 2 US time), the Department of Energy promised on Friday.

 

DOE Secretary Jericho Pettilla said that brownouts were unlikely to occur during the Fight of the Millennium due to low power consumption on Sundays, GMA News TV's News To Go reported.

 

However, the same could not be said for certain parts of Mindanao, as seven out of 24 power cooperatives in the island lacked sufficient power.

 

Four-hour brownout rotations are still expected in the area.

 

Senator Ralph Recto earlier petitioned the DOE to ensure that no power outages will occur on May 3, saying the Filipino people will use the government as "punching bags" if they could not watch the momentous bout.

 

He added that the demand for electricity during the fight would test Malacañang's implementation of the provisions of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), invoking emergency powers to avert a power crunch.

 

Section 71 of law states that “upon the determination by the President of the Philippines of an imminent shortage of the supply of electricity, Congress may authorize, through a joint resolution, the establishment of additional generating capacity under such terms and conditions as it may approve.” —Rie Takumi/KG, GMA News