Flame_January_2009 by Raymund Tamayo

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE ABOITIZ ENERZONES

VOL. 5, ISSUE 1

JANUARY 2009

He modeled the Aboitiz values of Passion, Integrity, Innovation, and Professionalism. The Don Ramon Aboitiz Awards of Excellence citation is a recognition waiting to happen.

www.subicenerzone.com

My fellow Team Members, First and foremost, I would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. I trust you enjoyed the exceptionally long break with your families and friends, and that your batteries are fully recharged for 2009. In 2007, we folded in two power distribution units into Aboitiz Power - Mactan EnerZone Corporation and Balamban EnerZone Corporation. Together with Subic EnerZone Corporation, these three companies make up what we refer to as our EnerZones, creating a unique brand that stands for high levels of efficiency, reliability and service in various locations. In October 2008, SEZ celebrated its 5th Anniversary “of being driven.” Over the years, we saw SEZ grow not only in terms of revenue but more importantly in its impact to its customers and the Subic Freeport as a whole. Over these five years SEZ improved its efficiency, reliability and service year after year, making its customers more competitive. The Subic Freeport can now boast of a power distribution utility that approaches world-class standards helping SBMA sell Subic to prospective locators. You have all done a great job and the results speak for themselves. Congratulations to each and everyone of you. It is our expectation to replicate and improve on what we have done in SEZ in MEZ and BEZ and help make the locators in these industrial estates more competitive worldwide. Starting with this issue, Subic Flame will be renamed to simply Flame, making it the official newsletter of all the EnerZones. We hope it will help unite all three EnerZones by keeping all Team Members informed of what they are all doing. Flame symbolizes power and passion, words that accurately describe our product, power, and our people that are full of passion to deliver that power. We begin another year with renewed energy and optimism, confident that we will continue to raise the bar. Let’s keep that Passion for Better Ways burning in all of us; and let us continue to be Driven: Driven to Lead, Driven to Excel, and Driven to Serve. We are very proud of all of you. Thank you once again and I look forward to working with all of you in 2009.

EIA

You have all done a great job and the results speak for themselves.

We begin another year with renewed energy and optimism, confident that we will continue to raise the bar.

Let us continue to be driven… driven to lead, driven to excel, and driven to serve.

VOL. 5, ISSUE 1

INDEX

JANUARY 2009

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE ABOITIZ ENERZONES

NEWS 4 We’ve Only Just Begun: SEZ celebrates 5th Anniversary 9 Subic Flame named Best Newsletter for 2008 10 SEZ attends 2nd Aboitiz Brand Forum 11 Select SEZ TM’s attend PEP Workshop 11 SEZ hosts Aboitiz Brand Management Orientation at Gordon College 12 SEZ hold Gift-giving Activity in celebration Of 5th Anniversary 12 SEZ turns over two guard houses to SBMA-LED 12 SEZ joins Blood Drive at SUBAC

13 SEZ implements One-Day Reading 17 Smiles overflow in BEZ, MEZ Christmas Party 18 MEZ, BEZ sends three to 33rd IIEE Convention 18 MEZ, BEZ attends 63rd PICPA Convention 19 MEZ, BEZ holds Visioning Workshop SERVICE AWARDEES The first sixteen 5-year Service Awardees of Subic EnerZone Corporation whoop it up for a souvenir photo during SEZ’s 5th Anniversary celebration at the Lighthouse Marina Resort, October 23.

20 BEZ begins substation construction 21 SEZ installs new SF6 RMU’s in SBIP

of Dante Pollescas

21 SEZ mounts new Sectionalizer

CENTERFOLD 14 Christmas at Wild Wild SEZ

COVER STORY 6 The Passion for Excellence

This issue’s cover features Subic EnerZone Vice President and General Manager Dante Pollescas, one of the most recent Don Ramon Aboitiz Awards of Excellence awardees.

REGULARS 24 All in a Day’s Work 24 The Word 25 12 Simple Ways to Supercharge Your Brain

FEATURES

26 Team Member’s Page

22 Understanding Demand Charges

SPORTS

23 What everyone should know about “Unbundling of Electricity Rates” 26 MEZ, BEZ welcomes New Teammates

27 Tigers take Over-All Team Title 22 Tigers’ Donato wins SEZ ‘08 10-Ball Tourney 22 Balbuena, Bandingan snatch golds in Badminton

FLAME is the official newsletter of the Aboitiz EnerZones - Subic EnerZone Corporation, Mactan EnerZone Corporation, and Balamban EnerZone Corporation. SEZ Office address: Canal Road corner Labitan Street, Central Business District, Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Tel. No.: (+6347) 252-7392, Fax No.: (+6347) 252-7397. Visit us at www.subicenerzone.com. MEZ and BEZ Main Office address: Aboitiz Corporate Office, Manuel A. Cuenco Avenue, Kasambagan, Cebu City. MEZ and BEZ Admin Office address: VECO complex, J. Panis Street, Banilad, Cebu City. Tel. No.: (+6332) 231-7531, Telefax No.: (+6332) 232-3455. MEZ Field Office Address: Mactan Economic Zone I, Basak, Lapu Lapu City. Tel. No.: (+6332) 340-4692. BEZ Field Office address: West Cebu Industrial Park, Balamban, Cebu. Tel. No.: (+6332) 465-2929.

SEZ celebrated its 5th Anniversary last October. Another feather in the cap as the company enters its sixth year.

BY CORINNE GRACE MANALO

VOL. 5, ISSUE 1

ubic EnerZone Corporation (SEZ) celebrated its fifth anniversary on October 23, highlighted by a Recognition Night for its first batch of 5-year Service Awardees and the awarding of the Don Ramon Aboitiz Awards of Excellence to Vice President and General Manager Dante Pollescas. 4

With the theme “Five Years of Being Driven”, it was held at the Lighthouse Marina Resort in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Present at the celebration were SEZ Chairman Erramon Aboitiz, President & CEO Jaime Jose Aboitiz, EVP & COO Benjamin Cariaso Jr., VP & GM Dante Pollescas, and ACO SVP for Quality & People Development Txabi Aboitiz. Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) FLAME January 2009

FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH. SEZ President & CEO Jim Aboitiz with team members during the company’s 5th Anniversary celebration, October 23.

pected”, adding that “we couldn’t do this without the help of our friends from the SBMA, the NPC, and TransCo”. With its commitment to further improve reliability and efficiency of the Freeport’s power distribution system and enhance customer service, SEZ have already invested P376 million in power projects for its first five years. To date, SEZ’s systems loss is down to 3.0% from 14.1% upon turn over in 2003. The company also responds to 94% of emergency calls within 30 minutes and 100% in 2 hours. DRAAE

Chairman Commodore Feliciano Salonga was also present at the affair. In his message, Erramon Aboitiz said that “the company started well” and “went from strength to strength” as it steadily improved year-by-year, stating that “the reason is because of all of you, Subic EnerZone Kaibigans”. This drew loud applause from the audience. Jim Aboitiz also commended the team for delivering amazing results “more than what is exVOL. 5, ISSUE 1

“I’m very thankful… this is too soon,” Pollescas said in his acceptance speech as a recipient of the Don Ramon Aboitiz Awards of Excellence, the highest recognition given to an Aboitiz Group team member. “I share this with my teammates at Subic EnerZone and to all who have been instrumental in bringing me where I am now.” The Don Ramon Aboitiz Award of Excellence is the highest and most prestigious award given to any deserving team leader or team member of the Aboitiz Group. Candidates are measured against a set of corporate values that include a nominee’s meaningful contribution to the organization’s mission and vision, his impact to customers, his personal integrity, competence and professionalism, and his value as a role model and an inspiration to others. Pollescas was named as one of this year’s DRAAE awardees together with ACO’s Gabby Mañalac and Riella Mae Baguio. Service Awardees Sixteen Subic EnerZone pioneering team members were recognized for their

invaluable contributions to the company, for forming part of SEZ’s character and culture. The company hired these former SBMA Utilities Department employees in 2003. The service awardees are Enrique Aranas, Edgar Caluza, Eugene Candaliza, Eric Caseja, Yolly Cawagas, Frederick Coronel, Kennedy Ebilane, Mars Escobar, Edgardo Geronimo, Manuel Lacanin, Edgar Magalang, Roy Anthony Mojal, Paulino Morales, Amelito Razal, Aniceto Rodriguez, and Fernando Solis. A special audio-visual presentation was shown for the awardees. They each received a SEZ Kaibigan trophy and a gift cheque. P54 million payment to SBMA Also at the same event, Erramon Aboitiz and Jimmy Aboitiz handed a check for P54 million to SBMA Chairman Feliciano Salonga as SEZ’s annual payment to the SBMA. The company pays P40 million for the lease of SBMA’s power facilities and other properties in the Freeport Zone. Also stipulated in the agreement is the yearly payment of P14 million in the first five years for properties and services provided by SBMA. SEZ is a 100% Aboitiz-owned power distribution company contracted to serve the SBMA until the year 2028. The company won the bid for the privatization of the SBMA’s power distribution system on a rehabilitate-operate-transfer (ROT) scheme in 2003. ♦

CHECK TURNOVER. Erramon Aboitiz and Jim Aboitiz present a ceremonial check for P54M to SBMA Chairman Feliciano Salonga (2nd from right).

FLAME January 2009

COVER

STORY

Subic EnerZone’s Vice President and General Manager is named as one of the recipients of the 2008 Don Ramon Aboitiz Awards of Excellence (DRAAE). BY RAYMUND TAMAYO

ne early morning in July of 2008, the aviation tower of the Subic Bay International Airport became inoperative and if not restored immediately could paralyze airport operations. The tower’s communications cables had been damaged but the telecom department of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) needed a much bigger vehicle to haul the replacement cables. Inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, they called on one man whom they knew and believe could help them. He was none other than Subic EnerZone (SEZ) Vice President and General Manager Dante Pollescas. Without a moment’s hesitation, Dante formed a team to help SBMA carry the

heavy cables from its warehouse to the airport. The task was finished right away, thus restoring the communication, navigation and surveillance functions of the airport’s tower. It saved the Philippine government millions of pesos in terms of operational costs and losses. It is Dante’s response to incidents like what happened that July morning that proves his deep commitment to serving

‘We knew Dante could do it, but we never expected how. He has exceeded all expectations.’ - JAIME JOSE ABOITIZ, SUBIC ENERZONE CORPORATION PRESIDENT

DTP, DRAAE AWARDEE. Dante

holds his AEV stock certificate as Montxu Aboitiz is about to present the DRAAE gold medallion, with Txabi Aboitiz and Jim Aboitiz looking on.

COVER

STORY

the community and his customers. He never hesitates to go out of his way to lend a hand or help solve a problem – be it big or small, doing it with a big smile and in a light positive manner. Day or night, he is reliable even with responsibilities beyond his scope of work. For this, customers, community leaders and even other service-oriented companies in the Freeport Zone hold him in high regard. In his 16 years with the Aboitiz Group, Dante has always shown his passion to lead, excel and serve. One of the pioneers of the SEZ project in 2003, he was a Davao Light Department Head when he was assigned to be the new company’s general manager. Ever since then, Dante has led the way in implementing projects that prove SEZ’s commitment to provide world-class customer service and to improve the efficiency and reliability of the Freeport’s power distribution system. He makes sure that customer service is always at its finest. His excellent skill in dealing with customers has helped establish a positive brand image for the company. “Selecting Dante in 2003 to lead Subic EnerZone was the most important decision made by my brother,” said SEZ president and CEO Jim Aboitiz, referring to former Davao Light President Al Aboitiz. “We knew Dante could do it, but we never expected how. He has exceeded all expectations.” Dante joined Davao Light in 1992 as line inspector and was later promoted to distribution engineer. Then he was promoted to Panabo branch operations supervisor, then moved on to become manager of the Lines Services Department before his promotion to AVP for Engineering in 2004. Despite all of his achievements, Dante never fails to acknowledge and recognize the people behind these successes. A great encourager and motivator, he brings out the best from his team members. ♦

“Our awardee is somebody with a quiet, simple yet steady and determined attitude. He is a self-starter, showing a relentless effort to improve himself and learn. This person never assumes that he knows all the answers but instead keeps an open mind and respectfully listens to the opinion of others. People appreciate his pleasant, gentle and sincere manner of dealing with them – both inside the workplace and outside. This person is known for being a hardworking and driven individual. When facing challenges and difficult situations, he is able to maintain composure – totally a picture of ‘grace under pressure’. This is what makes him admirable and inspiring to many. He never hesitates to go out of his way to lend a hand or help solve a problem – be it big or small, doing it with a big smile and in a light positive manner. This person represents the company well by letting people know that he can be depended on. When something needs to be done, you can be sure that this person will give it no less than 110%.

Like Don Ramon, this person pays great importance to word of honor. He delivers what was promised. He exudes pride in being an Aboitiz team member, practicing professionalism in dealing with everyone – team members and team leaders, customers and community alike. He is flexible yet uncompromising, knowing when to say ‘yes’ and when to say ‘no’. Our awardee is a person of service. He makes sure that customer service will always be at its finest. His excellent skill in dealing with customers has helped establish a positive brand image for the company. Going an extra mile or making sacrifices have never been a problem for him. Day or night, he is reliable even with responsibilities beyond his scope of work. For this, customers, community leaders and even other service-oriented companies in the entire Freeport Zone look up to him. He encourages and develops his team to their highest potential. With his excellent people skills, this person is able to bring out the best in the people he works with.” ♦

Excerpts taken from the introduction of DTP as DRAAE awardee. VOL. 5, ISSUE 1

FLAME January 2009

NEWS

Subic Flame named Best Newsletter for 2008

Subic Flame, the official publication of Subic EnerZone Corporation (SEZ), was named 2008 Best Newsletter at the recently concluded 2nd Aboitiz CorpCom Awards held at the Eden Park Resort in Davao City. BY MARS ESCOBAR

THE BEST. Subic Flame editor Raymund Tamayo (3rd from left) receives the Best Newsletter award from (L to R) ACO’s Yhol Colegado, Theresa Gonzales-Sederiosa, Evelyn Paul, AEV’s Paula Ruelan, and AVP for Branding & Corporate Communication Caroline Ballesteros. VOL. 5, ISSUE 1

ubic Flame editor Raymund Tamayo also won the Most Improved Writer award while editorial consultant Mars Escobar won the Best Photo award. Established just last year, the Aboitiz CorpCom Awards recognizes the best Corporate Communication teams and team members of the Aboitiz Group. This encourages and challenges CorpCom teams from the whole group to continue to improve in their craft and in inspiring each BU’s team members. The awarding ceremony was the culmination of the 2-day CorpCom Continuing Education Series seminar organized annually by AEV Corporate Communications. This event is part of the team’s thrust to continuously enhance skills and knowledge on areas such as corporate news writing and PR management that are essential to the practice of corporate communications. The seminar was facilitated by Dr. Ronald Amorado, a published author and a consultant and lecturer at the Ateneo de Davao University. ♦ FLAME January 2009

NEWS

SEZ attends 2nd Aboitiz Brand Forum Brand task team representatives from different Aboitiz companies converge for another assembly of sharing, learning, and imparting as the group moves forward in its focus on strengthening the Aboitiz brand. BY RAYMUND TAMAYO

ubic EnerZone Corporation (SEZ) joined the 2nd Aboitiz Brand Forum held last Nov. 13-14 at the Casino Español, Cebu City. SEZ was represented by human resources staff for CorpCom, Branding, and CSR and Flame editor-in-chief Raymund Tamayo. Brand task team representatives from ACO, AEV, Hedcor, Pilmico Foods, FilAm Foods, FBMA, MEZ, BEZ, Aboitiz Foundation, Aboitizland, RAFI, Unionbank, VECO, SNAP, City Savings Bank, Cotabato Light, Davao Light, and Metaphil also participated in the forum. The forum had the following objectives: iterate and build on the dynamics of building a corporate brand; harmonize terms, link different BU’s company values with those of AEV, and those used in the Brand Scorecard; create a roadmap for the Aboitiz brand, with concrete milestones; and outline the brand engagement program for 2009. Roberto E. Aboitiz, AEV chairman, kicked off the two-day event with an opening remarks. Weena Pineda, Chief Brand Strategist of Mansmith and Fielders Inc., was main speaker and workshop facilitator. Another guest speaker was Futurebrand’s Bernard VOL. 5, ISSUE 1

Stringer, who spoke about the Aboitiz brand journey and the process of Futurebrand’s roadmap. Lectures on the dynamics on building the corporate brand, how each BU’s brand will build the Aboitiz masterbrand, and how building the internal brand will drive

business results were tackled on the first day of the forum. During the afternoon, Tamayo presented how SEZ came up with its own Brand Assessment Report. This was because SEZ is the only company to have completely complied in submitting its Brand Scorecard Report on time. The second day was a whole day workshop on brand roadmap milestones and internal brand engagement programs. One of the forum’s highlights was the visit of AEV president Jon Ramon Aboitiz in the afternoon of the second day. JRA addressed the participants on the importance of consistently delivering the Aboitiz brand promise to customers. The forum was followed by a cocktail party also at the Casino Español. ♦

GROUP BRANDING. SEZ’s Raymund Tamayo (extreme left) together with other Branding representatives from the Aboitiz group during the Cocktail Party after the 2nd Aboitiz Brand Forum at the Casino Español in Cebu City, November 14.

FLAME January 2009

NEWS BRANDING

SEZ hosts Aboitiz Brand Management Orientation at Gordon College

FOUR DA BOYS. (L to R) Egay Geronimo, Rocky Lacanin, Chog Mojal, and Egay Magalang go through their task intently during the PEP Workshop held at the SEZ conference room, Oct. 17.

BY ETHEL VALERIO

elected Subic EnerZone (SEZ) team members underwent a Professional Image Enhancement Program (PEP) workshop at the Subic EnerZone Conference Room, October 17. Facilitated by ACO brand administrative officer Paula Ruelan, the seminar aimed to improve basic customer service skills, speech and public speaking skills, and communication skills of the participants for a more professional appearance. SEZ team members who attended the VOL. 5, ISSUE 1

seminar were: Edgardo Geronimo, Edgar Magalang, Manuel Lacanin, and Paulino Morales of the Transmission & Distribution department (T&D); Amelito Razal, Roy Anthony Mojal, Fernando Solis, Eugene Candaliza, and Enrique Aranas of the Substation & Electrical Equipment Department (SEED); Eric Caseja, Ruben Santiago Jr., and Mark Silos of the Customer Service Department (CSD); and Robin Geronimo and Antonio Casimero of the Power Metering Department (PMD). ♦

ubic EnerZone Corporation (SEZ) conducted an Aboitiz Brand Management Orientation with the Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) Brand Management Team at the Gordon College in Olongapo City, October 16. Paula Ruelan, ACO brand administrative officer, was the activity’s speaker and facilitator. The orientation is under the Aboitiz Brand Marketing Program (ABMP) of the Aboitiz Group. The program’s main objective is to increase awareness of the Aboitiz brand in schools, among business groups and socio-civic organizations who are interested to learn more about the Aboitiz story. The ABMP also aims to market the Aboitiz brand by making it known to various audiences that Aboitiz is more than just a shipping company and that it is a conglomerate of highly diversified businesses. The two-hour program included an introduction of basic branding concepts and the Aboitiz story as a case study. It ends with a showing of the corporate video and a short Q&A session where participants get a chance to win Aboitiz brand items. About 50 students and faculty members attended the said event. ♦ RTamayo

ABMP. Gordon College students with Paula Ruelan of AEV Branding (middle in purple shirt). FLAME January 2009

NEWS CORPORATE

SOCIAL

RESPOSIBLITY

BY ETHEL VALERIO

ith the t h e me “Maagang Pasko sa Araw ng Anibersaryo”, Subic EnerZone Corporation (SEZ) conducted a gift-

giving activity at the SEZ Administration Building, October 24. The activity was held the morning after SEZ’s 5th Anni-

versary and Recognition Night at the Lighthouse Marina Resort in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. 100 children of ages between 4 to 8 years old from the Pastolan Village in the freeport received a shoe box each, which contained toys, school supplies, assorted candies, and other presents. In cooperation with the Aboitiz Foundation, Inc., the event was made possible through the Samaritan’s Purse organization, a nondenominational evangelical Christian group headed by Franklin Graham. SEZ team members who vol-

SEZ turns over two guard houses to SBMA-LED

ubic EnerZone Corporation (SEZ) turned over two guard houses to the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Law Enforcement Department (SBMA-LED) in a ceremony on November 4. Gracing the ceremony were SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for support services Atty. Ramon Agregado, SBMA-LED Manager retired general Orlando Maddela Jr., SBMA-LED Chief for Operations Maj. Vicente Tolentino, and SEZ Vice President and General Manager Dante Pollescas. “I hope this example of Corporate Social Responsibility that Subic EnerZone has set will trickle down to the other locators,” said SDA VOL. 5, ISSUE 1

Agregado in his acceptance tion and Acacia Street. message. “There is so much The MOA for the construcwe have to do for the freeport tion of the two guard houses and the SBMA cannot do it was signed last September 15 alone. We are very glad that between Pollescas and we have a partner in Subic SBMA Administrator ArEnerZone who cares deeply mand Arreza. ♦ RTamayo about the Subic Bay Freeport community, one who undertakes concrete steps to contribute to the community,” he added. The said guard houses were built at TURNOVER. SEZ VP & GM Dante Pollescas the Binictican turns over the ceremonial key to (from L to R) housing area SBMA SDA Ramon Agregado, SBMA-LED manentrances of ager Gen. Orlando Maddela Jr., and SBMA-LED Maritan Junc- chief for operations Maj. Vicente Tolentino.

unteered for the activity were HR supervisor Mars Escobar, CSD supervisor Yolly Cawagas, SEED supervisor Justin Jay Navarro, Raymund Tamayo, Ethel Valerio, Corinne Grace Manalo, John Louis Ducos, Anielou Gelacio, Claire Emelie Ujano-Rebutoc, Jeff Figuerrez, Jerry Paul Mendez, Jerry Mark Famanila, Kevin Ligsay, Achilles Phill Balbuena, Fritzi Ryan de Leon, Robin Geronimo, Jeremy Picones, Mark Silos, Lilibeth Bandingan, and Antonio Casimero. AFI team member Jowelle Ann Cruz was present in the said event. ♦

SEZ joins Blood Drive at SUBAC

ubic EnerZone participated in a blood letting drive held at the Subic Bay Arts Center (SUBAC), October 8. The SEZ delegation was lead by Human Resource supervisor Mars Escobar and PerformanceBased Regulation supervisor Frederick Coronel. Other SEZ team members who joined were Raymund Tamayo, Achilles Phill Balbuena, Jayson Bondad, Jeremy Picones, Fernando Solis, Kevin Ligsay, Michael Pamintuan, and Jerome Tuazon. The activity was sponsored by the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (SBFCC), in cooperation with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Ocean Adventure, and the Philippine National Red Cross. ♦ EValerio FLAME January 2009

NEWS

CUSTOMER

SERVICE

ubic EnerZone Corporation (SEZ) implemented its new One-Day Reading scheme last October 26, 2008. From 17 meter reading days in the old system, SEZ reduced it to one day only, with 9 meter readers simultaneously working every 26th of the month for twelve hours, from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. This gave the company more time to focus on Customer Accounts Monitoring System (CAMS), meter maintenance, disconnection, reconnection, calport testing, monitoring/checking of active and inactive accounts for collection, calibration of meters, and delivery of bills. SEZ now has 6 Psion equipment operating in a single day from the previous 3 apparatus. A significant amount of days was also taken off from the previous system which is expected to increase service efficiency and will greatly benefit the Subic Bay Freeport’s customers. To date, SEZ has a total of 2,559 customers broken down to the following: 1,523 residential, 832 commercial, 95 industrial, and 109 street lights. The One-Day Reading scheme was made possible by the initiative of SEZ’s Customer Service Group headed by supervisor Yolly Cawagas. ♦

BY KAREN MATAWARAN No. of Reading Days Meter Reader/s Psion Operating Time Check Variance Pre Bill Printing of Bills Due Date (payment) Delivery of Bills Teller/s

OLD 17 days (1-16 & 26th of the month) 1 meter reader 3 Psion 8:00 am to 5:00 pm 9 days 6 days 13 days 13 days 12 days 1 teller

NEW 1 day (every 26th of the month) 9 meter readers 6 Psion 6:00 am to 6:00 pm 7 days 3 days 4 days 4 days 5 days 3 tellers (only during due dates)

Table above shows the comparison between the old and new meter reading systems implemented by SEZ. VOL. 5, ISSUE 1

FLAME January 2009

CENTERFOLD

Yeehaa! December 5 was one wild western Christmas Party for Subic EnerZone’s team leaders and team members. BY ANIELOU GELACIO

he company held its 2008 Christmas Party at the SEZ administration building with the theme “Christmas at Wild Wild SEZ”, where attendees got dressed in their fanciest Cowboys and Indians costumes.

Gracing the celebration were SEZ president Jim Aboitiz, SEZ EVP/COO Benjie Cariaso, and SEZ VP and general manager Dante Pollescas. In his heartwarming message, Sir Jim encouraged each team member to continuously live up to the Aboitiz brand promise of Pas-

WILD WILD SEZ. SEZ

team members gathered together and partied all night with their best cowboys and indians costumes for a wild, wild west themed Christmas party at the SEZ administration building, December 5.

sion for better ways. He said that he enjoys “being with the SEZ group and hopefully still for the 20 years ahead.” The highlight of the event was the Christmas Song Interpretative contest. Team members were divided into three (3) groups namely: ADMIN, SEED/T&D, and CSG. Criteria for judging were Choreography, 40%; Costume, 30%; Choice of Song, 20%; and Audience Impact, 10%. CSG won first place with a solemn interpretation of the song “Sa Araw ng Pasko”, followed by ADMIN (2nd) which did a sexy rendition of “Santa Baby”, then SEED/T&D (3rd) with their sizzling “Macho Santa” dance number. The winners were given P3,000, P2,000, and P1,000 for the prizes respectively. The party was hosted by SEZ’s resident stage performers Lilibeth Bandingan, Ethel Valerio, and Anielou Gelacio. They enticed the crowd with an opening dance number to the tune of “Giling giling”, a song popularized by a noontime variety show.

HEAD HONCHO. SEZ president Jim Aboitiz encourages his team members to continuously live up the Aboitiz brand promise of Passion for Better Ways during his inspirational message.

ABOVE PHOTOS. (from L to R) CSG, ADMIN, and SEED/T&D during their Christmas Song Interpretative contest performances for the night. Everyone enjoyed each team’s presentations amidst laughter and applause. BELOW PHOTOS. SEZ Kaibigans flaunting their costumes to the camera. Some even find themselves in the “Wanted” list.

Selected SEZ team members and contactors played the “Hep Hep Hooray!” game, popularized also by the same noontime show, but this time in a Wild Wild SEZ version. Instead of clapping and raising ones hands, participants should tap their hips with both hands in saying “Hep Hep”, while turning both hands into a gun-like shooting stance upon saying “Hooray”, mimicking a cowboy who draws his guns from its holsters and aiming to shoot it. Tsog Mojal of SEED won the game. Awards for the Best Costume were also given. The winners were: Raymund Tamayo (sheriff), 1st prize; Gonzalo Ong (indian chieftain) and Kristine Pulido (cowgirl), tied for 2nd prize; and Ricky Coronel (cowboy) and Lilibeth Bandingan (indian princess), tied for 3rd prize. They received P1,000, P750, and P500 respectively. Another exciting part of the night was the exchanging of gifts. Everyone looked forward to receiving the gift they wrote on the wish list posted at the company’s bulletin board. Some were generous enough to give more than the minimum value set. Also, a raffle was drawn for an overnight stay for two at The Lighthouse Marina Resort and was won by PBR engineer Kevin Ligsay. The Lazer Band heated up the stage with their music all night. Sir Dante made every feet move to the dance floor as he sang to a Beatles’ medley. Special guests also joined the party, with Regen Endaluz of Seaway doing a “Bakit ngayon ka lang” duet with one of the band’s female VOL. 5, ISSUE 1

performers. Others who were present at the party were Sir Dante’s wife Gina Pollescas, Team Energy’s Theo Sonico and Sonny Malacca; and Davao Light & Power Company (DLPC) vice president for Engineering Rodger Velasco and his wife, Bing. The event was indeed a success and

made everyone feel excited and look forward to next year’s celebration. Meanwhile, SEZ celebrated its Kiddie Christmas Party at the McDonald’s Magsaysay in Olongapo City, December 20. It was attended by children of SEZ’s team members. ♦

FLAME January 2009

NEWS ME Z/ BE Z

CHRISTMAS

PARTY station were the most resourceful as they seize the game to end up as winners. Joanna Mae Baguio and Samuel Sabas were the couple who struggled into victory to win the ‘Tie and Match’ game. The eating contest was a surprise as participants were forced to eat and consume in the fastest way possible whatever they touched: apple, mango, orange, guava, peanuts, kiamoy, and iba. Every team member was given the chance to bring home a houseware during the raffle draws, and a basket of groceries for the upcoming Christmas. To officially end the program, Administration and Finance Manager Ramny Guatelara delivered the closing words. Dennis Montebon and Dianne Iris Ubasa were the party hosts, as the team members danced the night away. Family Christmas Party

BY DIANNE IRIS UBASA & AVA-LOU PEREZ

midst the knee-high flood to get to the venue, the companies’ party was plagued with nothing but an overnight of shouts of laughter from every team member in attendance. Mactan and Balamban EnerZone Corporation’s 2008 Christmas party took place at the serving grounds of MEZ Control Station, MEPZ II, Basak, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, December 6. It was attended by all team members of both companies, and was graced by the presence of EVP/COO Benjie Cariaso, CFO Chona Tiu, and AVP & General Manager Irwin Pagdalian. Allan Baylon from Aboitizland, Inc. was also there. Sir Irwin officially welcomed the team members and guests as he gave the welcome remarks. Sir Benjie extended his good tidings, bearing the good news from the top management for the continuous progress the companies are going thru. The companies had recently welcomed new team members, and to gradually introduce them to various company activities, a powerpoint presentation was shown. It highlighted the seminars, the workshops, trainings, and VOL. 5, ISSUE 1

even the lighter side of events beyond office and field work. A feast was offered, topped with every mouth-watering dish one can imagine, as to satiate the requests of team members while being serenaded by a couple of lady singers. The affair’s highlight was the presentation contest from the companies’ major units: the Admin, MEZ Substation and BEZ Substation. The Balamban guys bagged home the crown as they performed a pop dance, an obvious winner with their costume and thorough choreography. “It was a group effort and everyone dared to participate,” Dennis Montebon, the group leader, adds as he explained why they got the coveted title. The Admin with the most number of ladies got the second place upon performing a medley dance number. The only singing group, the guys from the MEZ Substation settled for third. As the program progressed the hosts promised a night of fun and games, eventually turning out to be the key caterer of the funniest and most uncomfortable moments of the night. A game dubbed ‘Paint Me a Picture’ proved to be very exciting as it showcased the creativity of every participant. The guys from MEZ Sub-

At the same place where they had their first Christmas Party a couple of weeks earlier, MEZ & BEZ team members were able to reunite with their families and share hours of the holiday spirit with a second Christmas Party, December 20. With the presence of a 4 x 11 x 6 meter Jurassic Park inflatable, both children and adults were unstoppable in trying out on jumping, bouncing, and playing even for a few hours. Administration and Finance Manager Ramny Guatelara delivered a short message to welcome the families. It was followed by a sumptuous feast. Head of Technical Operations Ronald Petillo, who extended his gratitude to all those who were present, gave his closing speech. Dianne Ubasa hosted the party, with “Dyesebel” the clown, who provided everyone fun and games that were perfect keys in temporarily forgetting the pressures of work. All the children present were able to go home with bags of gifts after the event. ♦

JURASSIC PARK. MEZ/BEZ team members and their children with an inflatable dinosaur in the background. FLAME January 2009

NEWS C O N F E R E N C E S

A N D

S E M I N A R S

MEZ, BEZ sends three to 33rd IIEE National Convention

actan EnerZone Corporation (MEZ) and Balamban EnerZone Corporation (BEZ) attended the 33rd annual Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers (IIEE) Convention at the SMX Convention Center, SM Central Business Park, Pasay City, November 5-8. MEZ & BEZ were represented by engineers Ronald Allan Petillo, Technical Operations head; Dennis Montebon, BEZ substation engineer; and Kim Khyber Anton Niño Ang, staff engineer. With the theme “Responding to global electrical safety, energy efficiency and environment protection”, the event showcased a variety of seminars for which the participants from all over the country were given the freedom to choose which one would be interesting and informative enough for them to join in. Topics like the new curriculum for the BSEE, a revised program which will enhance a new graduate to the competitive world of electrical engineering was offered. Oil Based Diagnostics for Condition Based Maintenance, the application of Intelligent Electronic Devices in monitoring and testing parameters of electrical equipment like a power transformer, getting rid of the usual annual maintenance commonly practiced, replacing it with online maintenance was focused on. Energy Conserving Design for Buildings, the use of energy saving equipment, like the compact fluorescent lights (CFL’s), and sensors in turning off devices when not in use was emphasized. “Protective Relaying” discussed the basics in the field of power systems protection and the different schemes used in the application of protection. Savings VOL. 5, ISSUE 1

through Energy Efficiency discussed the utilization of energy during off peak hours and optimizing operations thus saving operational cost. The Power Quality seminar explained the causes and the solutions to take in resolving the occurrence of a voltage sag, voltage swell, and frequency variation problems. To add, there were product presentations featuring the latest on electrical engineering technologies like the enhanced substation automation and line automation products by employing the SCADA. The Evolution of Online Power Metering with the utilization of either wireless fidelity technology commonly known as Wi-Fi, the use of the famous GSM technology and the wireless radio where utilities can check its customers power consumption remotely any time of the day and not spend valuable time in traveling to the site thus saving operational cost, effort and time was also viewed. Freebies were given by various suppliers in the exhibition to further encourage the engineers for such products. On the last day of the convention a power forum was conducted. During the forum, the issue of the power crisis that will soon hit the country was tackled. Public and private sector representatives were invited to give their view of the problems discussed and on how they can address the issues. A raffle draw was done in the closing ceremony. The winners were able to go home with PEC books, laptop computers and a grand prize of Cherry automobile. The IIEE program committee entertained the participants by inviting Faith Cuneta for a serenade, and the Viva Hot Babes for a dance number. ♦ KKANAng

MEZ, BEZ attends 63rd PICPA Caucus

actan EnerZone Corporation (MEZ) and Balamban EnerZone Corporation (BEZ) attended the 63rd annual Philippines Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) National Convention in Davao City, November 2630. Janice Veriña of MEZ/BEZ admin represented the company in the convention. With the theme “Towards One PICPA”, the convention aims to integrate sector organizations into the PICPA structure to strengthen competency among its members. Upon arrival at the Davao International Airport, the participants were welcomed by a Muslim dance presentation then went to the Apo View Hotel for registration. The second day was the opening of the booth display and the official start of the technical session. It showcased a Sectoral Forum about the convention’s theme. As the session halts, the venue changes to cater the opening ceremonies at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Convention Hall. The day ended with the National Awards Ceremony and a Fellowship Night at Davao Convention Center. New Order Sessions at the Royal Mandaya Hotel was how the accountants spent the third day. The day was highlighted by the Regional Presentations Night, where PICPA-Cebu Chapter emerged as 2nd Runner Up. The Closing Plenary Sessions were held on the fourth day at the BSP Convention Hall. The participants visited Eden Nature Park during their final day and experienced one of its most-loved activities, the Sky Rider. ♦ JVeriña

NPC awards MEZ as prompt payor

he National Power Corporation (NPC) recently awarded Mactan EnerZone Corporation (MEZ) a plaque of appreciation as prompt payor. The award was given during the 2008 Customer’s Congress last November 25, 2008 at the Marco Polo Plaza, Cebu City. ♦ DIUbasa

FLAME January 2009

NEWS THANK YOU. MEZ & BEZ AVP & general manager Irwin Pagdalian receives his Certificate of Participation from seminar facilitator Lourdes Aseneta.

Vision and mission statements convey in a few words what an organization exists for. Having a great vision & mission statement is the first step. Execution is next.

BY AISAH ARES he vision and mission statement of a company plays a vital role in determining the strength of an organization, strength in achieving its mission and strength in putting its vision into reality. You know the old adage “hitting two birds with one stone”, that's definitely the perfect phrase to describe this workshop.

VOL. 5, ISSUE 1

THE CREW. (from L to R) Kim Ang, staff eng’r; Mario Gabunilas, technical operations head, BEZ; Walter Matillosa, substation eng’r, MEZ; Aseneta; Pagdalian; Ronald Allan Petilo, technical operations head, MEZ; Ramny Guatelara, admin & finance manager; Dennis Montebon, substation eng’r, BEZ; and Aisah Ares, HR specialist.

Mactan EnerZone Corporation (MEZ) and Balamban EnerZone Corporation (BEZ) had their Vision and Mission Workshop at the Montebello Villa Hotel in Cebu, August 22-23, 2008. The two-day seminar-workshop was filled with fun activities, learning experiences, brainstorming sessions, and not to mention intense debates as the participants were divided into two groups. The groups were designed not to compete but to work as one in achieving something great for the organization. Day one’s objective was to create a Vision and Mission statement. The participants went through exercises and activities to each come up with a Visioning Phrase and a Mission statement. After each group presented their Vision & Mission phrases, all have to agree with only one Vision and Mission Statement, that's where the intense debate took place because each team has to defend their side. In day two, the participants took up Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis. SWOT will help strengthen the companies’ positive points, focus less on the weaknesses but at the same time do actions for improvements, give more attention on the opportunities, and think ahead and prepare for possible threats. At the end of the seminar the MEZ and BEZ team were able to come up with their own Vision and Mission statement, which according to the participants was the “sweetest fruit” they have reaped after all they have been through. In the end, it’s not how striking the statements may sound, but how the people who made them act upon and make them a part of the organizations success in the years to come. Facilitating the seminar was Lourdes Aseneta of People Wise Consultants. ♦ FLAME January 2009

NEWS

PROJECTS

UPDA TES

BEZ begins substation construction BY KIM ANG & DENNIS MONTEBON

o cater growing power demand, Balamban EnerZone Corporation (BEZ) recently began construction of its 25/33 MVA, 69/13.8kV Radial Substation at the Bravo Gate of West Cebu Industrial Park, Balamban, Cebu. Projected date of completion is on March 2009. The substation is an indoor type which uses switchgear for its low voltage side distribution. It consists of four (4) feeders to cater the need for power of the Tsuneishi Heavy Industries expansion, THI Phase four, load growth of other locators within the zone and to have a back-up feeder for the two existing feeders of the Old 25MVA BEZ Substation at the Alpha Gate in Arpili. The substation will get its power from TRANSCO through its 69kV TalaveraAsturias line in Balamban. The total circuit length is 1,980 meters from the tapping point of Transco near the Alpha Gate to the site near the PEZA office at the Bravo Gate. The line is a single circuit 336.4MCM ACSR wire. Polymer post insulators and suspension insulators will be used for the line. It will pass through CIPDI’s on going road construction. The new substation will employ the latest technology like the SCADA system especially since the old sub-

station will be unmanned by the time the new substation will be operational. The communication to be used for this is through wireless radio since the distance of the two substations is just less than 2 kilometers. To date, the construction of the new substation’s perimeter fence is on its way. The construction of the A-Frame Steel Structure, Power Transformer Foundation, Office and Control Building is also starting. The land area of the project is 1500 square meters (25m x 60m). BEZ will integrate its office, control room and warehouse in the new substation site. The office will have its own conference room for meetings and seminars. Personnel quarters will be provided so that night shift substation engineers can stay for the night whenever they will not be able to go home after work.

Tsuneishi Heavy Industries (THI), a Japanese ship building company located at the West Cebu Industrial Park, had been expanding almost every year since it started its operations way back in 1990. The company helped the local economy, created more job opportunities for the people of Balamban and its neighboring towns. To date, there are already about 4,000 people employed either by THI or its different contractors. Due to numerous orders from abroad, THI decided once again to expand. August of last year THI started the construction THI Phase 4. With the expansion of THI, SIG and Air Liquide both gas companies, decided to expand, too, so as to cater the demands of THI Phase 4. THI Phase 4 has a projected demand of 11 MW, while SIG and Air Liquide have a projected demand of 2 MW each. This led to the BEZ substation construction project. ♦

Proposed BEZ Control Room and office. VOL. 5, ISSUE 1

FLAME January 2009

NEWS

SEZ mounts new Sectionalizer

SEZ installs new SF6 RMU’s in SBIP BY JOHN LOUIS DUCOS

o reduce power interruptions due to switching and load transfers, Subic EnerZone Corporation installed two new Ring Main Units (RMU) in the Subic Bay Industrial Park (SBIP). The project was spearheaded by Project Manager Danny Caro and Transmission and Distribution (T&D) Supervisor Dick Cabrera. It was implemented by engineers Ryan Griva and John Louis Ducos, together with linemen and technicians from the T&D department and the Substation and Electrical Equipment department (SEED). The RMU’s were strategically installed along Golden Picture Street and Faith Street in the SBIP and was done last October 2008. An additional three RMU’s are planned to be installed in the SBIP and is expected to be completed within the first quarter of the year. SEZ installs additional Capacitors Due to the increase in motor loads of manufacturing plants and factories in the SBIP, SEZ also installed 1.05 MVAR of fixed capacitor banks within the area. This is in-line with the Power Factor Correction project initiated by SEZ to keep VOL. 5, ISSUE 1

the freeport power distribution system’s power factor to its satisfactory level. In November SEZ installed an additional 1.05 MVAR of Switch Capacitor Banks at different locations in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ). 150 KVAR was installed at the Kalayaan Housing area, 450 KVAR in front of Hitachi along the golf course area in Binictican, and another 450 KVAR along the tank farm intersection of Maritan Highway and Yalay Road. The installations, also strategically planned and studied by the SEZ power quality team of Caro and Ducos, were aimed to further increase the power factor of the Maritan Substation and better serve the customers within the area. The project was completed by SEED headed by Supervisor Justin Jay Navarro together with engineers Richard Bulaon, John Khristoffer Vergara and Fritz de Leon. They were assisted by SEED veteran technician Eugene Candaliza. The project was done last November 2008. SEZ’s Power Factor Correction project is on-going and will be implemented every time loads increase and the need arises. ♦

ubic EnerZone Corporation (SEZ) installed a new sectionalizer in the Kalayaan housing area of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone to minimize power interruptions, October 27. A sectionalizer is a self-contained, circuit-opening device used in conjunction with source-side protective devices to automatically isolate faulted sections in the electrical distribution system. It is an economical method of improving service on distribution lines equipped with reclosers or reclosing circuit breakers. Since a sectionalizer does not require a time-current base for its operation, it is easily coordinated with other protective devices in the system. It provides additional protection without setting changers to other devices in the protective scheme. Heading the project were Project Manager Danny Caro and Transmission & Distribution (T&D) Supervisor Dick Cabrera, together with engineers Ryan Griva and John Louis Ducos. Customers within the Kalayaan housing area are now enjoying a more reliable supply of power. ♦ JLDucos

A sectionalizer installed at the Kalayaan Housing area in the Subic Freeport. FLAME January 2009

FEATURES

Understanding Demand Charges BY EDGAR CALUZA

he demand charge is expressed as a Peso per kilowatt (kW) rate and is applied to the customer’s maximum kW demand, or the highest amount of electricity used by the customer in any half-hour period during the billing period. SEZ’s demand charge covers the costs associated with maintaining sufficient electrical facilities at all times to meet each customer’s highest demand for energy. Understanding Demand (kW) and Consumption (kWh) The difference between demand and consumption is vital to your choices in reducing your energy costs. A simple way to see the difference between demand and consumption is by considering the example below. One 100-watt light bulb burning for 10 hours consumes 1,000 watt-hours or 1 kWh. The entire time it is on, it requires or “demands” 100 watts or 0.1 kW from the electric utility company. That means, the electric utility company must have that 0.1 kW ready whenever the customer turns the lamp on. Similarly, ten 100-watt light bulbs burning for 1 hour consume 1,000 watt-hours or 1 kWh. Note that in both examples the consumption is 1 kWh. However, look how differently the second situation impacts the utility from a demand perspective. The serving electric utility company must now be prepared to provide ten times as much capacity in response to the “demand” of the 10 light bulbs operating all at once. If both of these customers are billed for their consumption only, both will get the same bill for 1 kWh of energy. And that is the way most residential customers are billed. But the requirement for the utility to meet this energy requirement is very different. In the second case, the utility has to have 10 times more generating capacity and possibly a larger transformer and conductors to provide the second customer’s brief high demand for power compared to the first case. While both customers are charged for one (1) kWh of energy, it costs SEZ more to serve the higher demand customer since the company must have facilities in place to serve the higher deVOL. 5, ISSUE 1

mand at any given moment. The demand charge reflects this higher cost and provides an incentive for customers to manage their loads to lower their demand. Within a customer class, if two customers use the same amount of energy but one has higher demands, the customer with higher demands will see higher bills. Through the demand charge, each business pays its share of the electric utility’s investment in subtransmission and distribution equipment standing by to serve. The higher the demand, the larger the facilities necessary to serve the customers’ load requirements. The larger the facilities, the higher the cost for the electric utility company to maintain such facilities. How Can You Lower Your Demand Charge and Save Money? If you have done everything you can to reduce your overall energy use to the minimum needed to conduct your business, you may be able to further reduce the size of your bill by reducing peak demand. The key to peak demand reduction is optimal scheduling of electrical equipment use within the facility. To reduce demand charge, simply examine your operation.



What energy efficiency improvements can be made?

 

Does all of the equipment need to be running at the same time? If not, what can be turned off while other equipment is running?

Often there is equipment that is operated occasionally. If this is the case, can some other equipment be turned off while this equipment is running? The result may be a significant savings in your monthly demand charge. The goal is to reduce the load at any single given time. Of course some of your equipment is required to run simultaneously. For example, in a restaurant the water heater and the dishwasher usually run at the same time. It is possible however to minimize their impact if dishwashing can be done in otherwise slack periods during the day, when few of the other pieces of equipment are running. Alternatively, if the restaurant has a large enough hot water storage tank, they may be able to heat water at night for use during the day, thereby avoiding use of the water heater during peak times. Often timers can be utilized to give you control needed to achieve these reductions. However, if your electrical use is high and you have a large number of electrical loads, it may be feasible to install a computerized load control system to coordinate and optimize the operation of your equipment. ♦

FLAME January 2009

FEATURES

What everyone should know about:

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unbundling of Electricity Ratesâ&#x20AC;? RESEARCHED BY CORINNE GRACE MANALO What is unbundling of rates? The unbundling of rates is the identification and separation of the individual cost for providing each electric service to consumers. The services identified in the Act are Generation, Transmission, Distribution and Supply. In simple terms, it is the itemization or breaking down of the specific components of electricity bill to make the pricing of electricity more transparent and understandable to electricity consumers. How does a "bundled" bill differ from an "unbundled" bill? When you examine closely your electricity bill, you do not know exactly how much goes to each particular service you are paying because your bill is still bundled. For instance, the generation and transmission charges are not segregated. This means that the specific cost for generation and transmission of electric power is not reflected in your bill. With an unbundled rate, the consumer will be able to know and understand the components of his electricity bill by showing how much goes to generation, transmission, distribution, metering, supply and other charges. A peso-value will be placed for each component of your bill to arrive at the amount which you are going to pay to your electricity service provider. What benefit will the consumers get if the rates are unbundled? Once the rates are unbundled, electric bills will become clear and informative and customers of electricity will be able to see the rates of each service they are paying. Will the unbundling of rates increase or decrease the rates charged to customers? No. The unbundling of rates per se will neither increase nor decrease the rates. However, the use of a new test year may change existing rate levels. It must be noted that the test year prescribed under the Uniform Filing Requirements (UFR) in determining utility revenue requirements was FY 2000 to obtain a closer estimate of the cost of providing electricity service to consumers since the passage of RA No. 9136 in 2001. What is the legal basis for filing applications for revised rates by the distribution utilities and the National Power Corporation (NPC)? Section 36 of R.A. No. 9136, otherwise known as the Electric Industry Reform Act of 2001 provides that within six (6) months from the effectivity of said Act (which is on or before December 26, 2001), NPC and each distribuVOL. 5, ISSUE 1

tion utility shall file with the Commission (ERC) its revised rates, which must be reflective of the cost of providing electricity service. What are the differences of these rate filings from previous rate cases? The differences are as follows: (1) The utilities are required in these rate filings to establish separate retail rates for each category of service. This requires the unbundling or separation of all elements of the revenue requirements calculation including operating expenses and rate base so that the required transparent retail rates can be determined for each category of service and each customer class. (2) The rates determined are to be free from all inter-grid and intra-grid subsidies in the case of NPC, and all inter-class subsidies in the case of the distribution utilities. In other words, the rate structure shall reflect the true cost (free of subsidies) of serving each customer class. Why should there be a removal of crosssubsidies? The purpose is to reflect the true economic cost of serving each customer class. How will the removal of cross-subsidies be undertaken? It shall be done gradually to lessen its impact on the consumers. What is a subsidy? It is the difference between the total customer class cost of service for a particular sector and the price currently being charged by the utility. What cross-subsidies should be removed? NPC is required to remove the inter-grid (i.e., between Luzon and Visayas Grids) and intra-grid (i.e., within the Luzon Grid) subsidies while the distribution utilities are to remove inter-class subsidies (i.e., between industrial and residential classes). The National Grid is composed of the Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao Grids while Customer Classes include Residential, Large Industrial, Small Industrial, Large Commercial, Small Commercial and Street Light. What is the impact of the removal of crosssubsidies on the consumers? It may increase or decrease the electric bill of consumers because subsidy costs will be shifted from one customer to another. If customer A subsidizes customer B by P0.005/kwh, same amount will be added up to

customer B's bill. Subsidized consumers will bear the brunt of the increase in rates as the subsidizing consumers will be relieved from the crosssubsidies. Will the electricity be free from ALL subsidies? No. The Act provides for lifeline rates for low-income end-users to balance the social impact of rates on the marginalized sector of our society. What is a lifeline rate? A lifeline rate refers to the subsidized rate given to marginalized/low-income Captive Market End-users who cannot afford to pay at full cost. Who are Marginalized End-Users? They refer to low-income, captive, household electricity consumers who cannot afford to pay at full cost and have levels of electricity consumption below a threshold level to be determined by ERC. Who comprises the Captive Market? The Captive Market comprises the electricity end-users who do not have the choice of a Supplier of Electricity. How will the consumers be further protected in an unbundled environment once the new caps on system losses are established? The Act requires the Commission to establish new caps on system losses for each utility to replace the cap on the recoverable rate of system losses prescribed in Section 10 R.A. No. 7832. Consumers are further protected because the utilities will be required to improve their services. Technical and pilferage losses will be reduced significantly. How and when is ERC expected to act on the rate applications? At present, the ERC is conducting a comprehensive review of the rate filings to determine if the utilities have substantially complied with the prescribed filing requirements and the Act, and that the resulting rates are just and reasonable. The ERC is mandated under the law to act on the unbundled rate applications on or before six (6) months from the time the utility has fully or substantially complied with the Uniform Filing Requirements (UFR) that will enable the Commission to make a sound decision on the basis of the documents at hand. â&#x2122;Ś Source: http://www.gov.ph/cat_energy/unbundlingofrates.asp

FLAME January 2009

THREE POINTS Babble incoherently at a fellow employee then ask “Did you get that, I don’t want to have to repeat it.” – Double points if you do this to a manager. While typing, shout “Yes!” every time you type the letter “E”. Kneel in front of the water dispenser and drink directly from the nozzle. IMAGINATION Several weeks after a young man had been hired, he was called into the HR manager’s office. “What is the meaning of this?” the manager asked. “When you applied for the job, you told us you had 5 years’ experience. Now we discover this is the first job you’ve ever had.” “Well,” the young man said, “in your ad you said you wanted somebody with imagination.” THE BROOM A young engineer, hired by a utility company, reported for his first day of work. The manager greeted him with a warm handshake and a smile, gave him a broom and said, “your first task will be to sweep out the whole warehouse.” “But I’m a licensed engineer,” the young engineer replied indignantly. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know that,” said the manager. “Here, give me the broom, I’ll show you how.” HIGH SALARY

TRY

THIS

PLAY THE OFFICE GAME Here’s a way to spice up your office. Pick two or three colleagues and agree to play the Office Game which awards points as follows: ONE POINT Run one lap around the office at top speed. Walk sideways to the photocopier. Find the vacuum and start vacuuming around your desk. When they’re not looking, pour most of someone’s fresh cup of coffee into your mug leaving him with an inch of brew. Ignore the first five people who say “good morning” to you.

A manager of a utility company is reviewing a potential employee’s application and notices that the man has never worked in a public utility before. He says to the man, “For a man with no experience, you are certainly asking for a high wage.”

Phone someone in the office, leave your name and say “Just called to say I can’t talk right now. Bye.”

Well Sir,” the applicant replies, “the work is so much harder when you don’t know what you’re doing!”

While riding an elevator, gasp dramatically every time the doors open.

To signal the end of a conversation, clamp your hands over your ears and grimace.

Shout random number while someone is counting. FIVE POINTS At the end of a meeting, suggest that for once, it would be nice to conclude with the singing of the national anthem (plus three points if you actually lead them yourself). Walk into a very busy person’s office and while they watch you with growing irritation, turn the light switch on/off 10 times. For an hour, refer to everyone you speak to as “Bob”. While an officemate is out, move his chair into the elevator. In a meeting or crowded situation, slap your forehead repeatedly and mutter, “Shut up, all of you just shut up!” Carry your laptop over to your colleague and ask “You wanna trade?” Repeat the following conversation 10 times to the same person: “Do you hear that?” “What?” “Never mind, it’s gone now.” Tuck one pant leg into your sock and when queried, answer, “not now” and walk away. ♦ (lifted from www.workjoke.com)

THE WORD

A Heart That Loves God For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. - HOSEA 6:6 NO amount of activity for God will ever take the place of a heart that is right with Him. Through the ages God’s people have been persuaded that they could please Him through their service and their offerings, regardless of their heart condition. King Saul offered generous sacrifices, hoping God would overlook his disobedience (1 Sam. 15:22-23). David may have assumed that after all he had done on God’s behalf, God would overlook his sin (2 Sam. 12:7-15). Ananias and Sapphira thought that their generous gift to the church would compensate for their deceitVOL. 5, ISSUE 1

fulness (Acts 5:1-11). Paul was certainly one who had thought his zealousness would please God. After his conversion, however, he concluded that even if he had faith to remove mountains, gave all he had to feed the poor, and offered his body to be burned for the sake of God, and yet had a heart that was not right, it would all be for nothing (1 Cor. 13:1-3). We are susceptible to the same misunderstanding as all of these people were. We can be deceived into assuming God is more interested in our activity for Him than He is in the condition of our hearts.

God has consistently made it clear that He will not be pacified by even the most generous offerings and zealous service if our hearts are not right with Him (Mic. 6:6-8). No matter how much we do in God’s service, regardless of how active we are in our church, no matter how honorable our reputation in the Christian community, He will not overlook a sinful heart. His desire is that we devote ourselves to knowing Him and loving Him with all of our hearts. ♦ (taken from “Experiencing God Day-By-Day” by Henry and Richard Blackaby) FLAME January 2009

REGULARS stress-ridden mind consumes much of our memory resources to leave us with a feeble mind. Make a habit to engage yourself in few simple pleasures everyday to dissolve stress from your mind. Some of these simple pleasures are good for your mind, body and soul. Enjoy music you love Play with your children Appreciate others Run a few miles a day, bike or swim Commune with nature Start a blog Meditate 5. Exercise your mind. Just as physical exercise is essential for a strong body, mental exercise is equally essential for a sharp and agile mind. Have you noticed that children have far superior brainpower than an adult does? Children have playful minds. A playful mind exhibits superior memory power. Engage in some of the activities that require your mind to remain active and playful. Play scrabble or complete a crossword puzzle Volunteer Interact with others Start a new hobby such as blogging, reading, painting, bird watching Learn a new skill or a foreign language

12 Simple Ways to Supercharge your Brain RESEARCHED BY CORINNE GRACE MANALO

ave you ever felt frustrated when you try to call the attention of someone in the office but absolutely couldn’t remember his name? Sure, it happens to all of us. Despite being the strongest computer on the planet, our brains do falter. It’s almost foreseeable, as humans we spend much of our existence stuffing our brains with stuff. No matter how powerful our brains are, they need recuperation time to be kept in shape. Think of it as a tune up for your brain. Skipping preventive maintenance on your brain is as silly as looking for that pair of eye glasses when all the while it is just hanging on your front collar. Is that you? Are you that person? If so, fear not. Here are some things you can begin doing to supercharge your brain.

Stress drains our brainpower. A stress-ridden mind consumes much of our memory resources to leave us with a feeble mind. VOL. 5, ISSUE 1

1. Eat almonds. Almond is believed to improve memory. If a combination of almond oil and milk is taken together before going to bed or after getting up at morning, it strengthens our memory power. Almond milk is prepared by crushing the almonds without the outer cover and adding water and sugar to it.

6. Practice meditation. Meditation relives stress. Stress is a known memory buster. With less stress, lower blood pressure, slower respiration, slower metabolism, and released muscle tension follows. All of these factors contribute significantly towards increases in our brainpower. 7. Reduce sugar intake. Sugar is a non-food. It’s a form of carbohydrate that offers illusionary energy, only to cause a downhill slump once the initial burst has been worn off. Excess intake of sugar results in neurotic symptoms. Excess sugar is known to cause claustrophobia, memory loss and other neurotic disorders. Eat food without adding sugar. Stay away from sweet drinks or excess consumption of caffeine with sugar. 8. Eat whole wheat. The whole wheat germs contain lecithin. Lecithin helps ease the problem of the hardening of the arteries, which often impairs brain functioning. 9. Eat a light meal at night. A heavy meal at night causes tossing and turning and a prolonged emotional stress while at sleep. It’s wise to eat heavy meal during the day when our body is in motion to consume the heavy in-take. Eating a light meal with some fruits allows us to sleep well. A good night sleep strengthens our brainpower. 10. Develop imagination. Greeks mastered the principle of imagination and association to memorize everything. This technique requires one to develop a vivid and colorful imagination that can be linked to a known object. If you involve all your senses – touching, feeling, smelling, hearing and seeing in the imagination process, you can remember greater details of the event.

2. Drink apple juice. Research from the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) indicates that apple juice increases the production of the essential neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain, resulting in an increased memory power.

11. Control your temper. Bleached food, excess of starch or excess of white bread can lead to nerve grating effect. This results in a violent and some time depressive behavior. Eat fresh vegetables. Drink lots of water and meditate to relieve these toxic emotions of temper and stressful mood swings.

3. Sleep well. Research indicates that the long-term memory is consolidated during sleep by replaying the images of the experiences of the day. These repeated playbacks program the subconscious mind to store these images and other related information.

12. Take Vitamin B-complex. Vitamin B-complex strengthens memory power. Eat food and vegetables high in Vitamin B-complex. Stay away from the starch food or white bread, which depletes the Vitamin B-complex necessary for a healthy mind. ♦

4. Enjoy simple pleasures. Stress drains our brainpower. A

(adapted from Shilpan Patel of Success Soul)

FLAME January 2009

REGULARS

Team Members’ Page Gonzalo G. Ong, Jr.; Cadet Engineer, Power Metering Department

NEW REGULAR TEAM MEMBERS, SEZ (from L to R): Severino Junior Miras, Michael Pamintuan, and Elmer Donato Jr., linemen, Transmission & Distribution Department.

Brian E. Benedicto; Accounting Staff, Accounting Services Department

Ava-Lou Perez; HR specialist Jerome A. Tuazon; Stockroom Staff, MMD

Kevin G. Ligsay; Cadet Engineer, PBR

Jeremy A. Picones; cadet eng’r, PMD to LSD

Raymund D. Tamayo; staff, MMD to QHRD John Gener Quintayo; cadet engineer

MEZ, BEZ welcomes new teammates

EZ/BEZ Administration and Finance manager Ramny Guatelara of MEZ/BEZ has always been reiterating that the company is not just a working unit, but a functioning team pursuing a common goal. And these past months proved to be exciting as the company introduces it’s newly acquired team members. AVA-LOU PEREZ, the giggler with too many names Ava… Avalou… Avamae… Avaloucha… Ava Maria… Ava-aba… Avakada… she’s one of the ladies who answer the phone when you ring for Admin. Ava is the go-to person and the I-go-to you person as well. She has this habit of throwing up a good crispy laugh in the midafternoon, while people around here are just way too busy working, which eventually ends up making everyone within the hearing range laughing too. A graduate of San Jose Recoletos, Ava is the company’s HR Specialist. She computes the payroll, handles the recruitment, trainings, orientations, and all other employee relations. Ava is described to be accommodating, pleasing, energetic, talented, and too sweet for her own good… few good words from her co-workers. JOHN GENER QUINTAYO, the chauffeur who plasters a smile Boyet, or Migs, as fondly called by his friends, is a ceaseless driver whom everyone enjoys hanging around with because of the mastered and plastered smile he carries. Too tall for comfort at 5’11”, he amazes people around him when he does the chores dabbed to be household ones: cooking and sweeping [note, even if not being told to]. A graduate of Notre Dame of Kidapawan College, Migs, a certified bachelor and an electronics and communications engineer, is a cadet engineer at MEZ. Respectful, obedient, humble and meek are words we got for him when we were able to interview his colleagues. JERRE BON MANLANGIT, the silent brooding type girls go gaga for Jerre Bon is the ultimate mysterious kind of guy that ladies find interesting. To prove, he has a secret admirer that is not so secret after all. He tends to be too silent that one needs to dig deep just to have a few words from him. JB never shies away but he shines when you least expect it. A product of Cebu Institute of Technology, JB is also a cadet engineer assigned as a cadet engineer at BEZ who does the encoding from meters being read and the monitoring of power load. His friends at work depict him to be very attentive, smart and jolly. DONNA REZA ARCILLO, the red faced reporter Red face? Reporter? Her name does not start with an ‘R’ but

VOL. 5, ISSUE 1

by Dianne Iris Ubasa

she’s all that (and probably more). Her face reddens up whenever she gets into prickly, uncomfortable encounters. A reporter because she’s the most loyal girl you can have. She, who reports to the special guy every lunch break, is what her officemates deemed her to be. University of San Carlos is the school who handled the younger Donna. She does the inventory of fixed assets and the purchasing functions of the company. Donna is patient, extremely kind, a definite slim chick, and very soft at times.

Jerre Bon Manlangit; cadet engineer

ERNESTO VILLARBA, Jr., the noticeable camouflage Jun seems to want to be on the background, but he ends up being noticed sooner than he expected. He is the type of guy you want to bring home to introduce to your mothers. Not too meek, but takes initiative too often is what he is. During his spare time, he busies himself with cleaning up the company vehicle, a task not to be taken lightly. As a proud produce of the prestigious University of Mindanao, Jun is a cadet engineer of BEZ who always does the fieldwork. When we asked people around about him, they insisted that he is way independent, hardworking, and too calm even in the loudest times of events.

Donna Reza Arcillo; admin assistant

SAMUEL SABAS, the booming voiced giant

Ernesto Villarba, Jr.; cadet engineer

His type of voice just comes out naturally. Sam, who stands at six feet and an inch tall, is as elusive as an eel. The common words embedded with this guy are focused and silent yet he was the exact opposite during the Christmas party celebration. He, who reins the night breeze, deserves a good tap on the shoulder. This family man, who was a previous employee of ROSCH, is a current cadet engineer at MEZ. Steadfast, determined, longsuffering are but a few words he earned from people clustering around him.

Samuel Sabas; cadet engineer

DIANNE IRIS UBASA, the four-eyed host, dancer Di uses eyeglasses at work, which explains why she’s called “four eyes”. She is one of the very few peeps who love reading, writing and conversing all at the same time. At times, she can be too silent at work trying to balance the figures, then in the middle of it, she’ll just exclaim “PAITA!” (her expression which means too bitter). Also a full-bloodied Notre Damean, Dianne does the billing, the schedules for the financial statements and some other accounting functions. Dubbed to be charming, sexy, moody and an excellent dancer, Dianne continuously lightens up things through her dance moves and hosting skills. ♦

Dianne Iris Ubasa; accounting assistant

FLAME January 2009

SPORTS

Tigers take Over-All Team Title

he Yellow Tigers were named Over-All Team Champion in conclusion of the 2008 SEZ Sportsfest. The Tigers gathered a runaway 9 gold medals, 5 silvers, and 6 bronzes for a total of 20 medals to take the title. The team won golds in the following events: Basketball 2-Ball Challenge, Basketball 3Point Shootout, Table Tennis Mixed Doubles, Games of the Generals, Scrabble, Chess, Billiards, and Badminton Men’s and Women’s Singles. Team Manager Mars Escobar led the Tigers with 3 golds (GG, Scrabble, and Chess). A far second were the Blue Eagles with 5 gold medals, 8 silvers, and 5 bronzes. They won golds in Basketball Skills Challenge, Table Tennis Class S category, Table Tennis Doubles, Cycling Road Bike category, and Darts. Losing only on silver medals, the Green Archers capped third place by garnering 5 golds, 6 silvers, and 7 bronzes. They won golds in Table Tennis Class A and Class B categories, Dama, Badminton Doubles and Mixed Doubles. The Red warriors placed last with a gold medal, a silver, and 4 bronzes. They

won the gold in Basketball. ♦ Tigers’ Donato wins SEZ ’08 10-Ball tourney Elmer Donato of the Yellow Tigers bagged the 2008 SEZ 10-Ball title, beating Gerald Corpuz of the Green Archers,

7-6, at the Cue Zone, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, September 16. Donato erased a 4-6 deficit, winning the final three racks after Corpuz lapsed into errors mainly of his own making. Corpuz himself was coming off his own run after being down 2-4, taking four straight racks to go on the hill. But untimely errors allowed Donato to reach him and eventually win the championship.

SEZ SPORTFEST 2008 OFFICIAL MEDAL TALLY (FINAL RESULTS)

YELLOW

BLUE

GREEN RED

VOL. 5, ISSUE 1

Donato started the match furiously, right away taking a 3-0 lead. The elimination round was composed of eight groups of four players each with the winner of each group advancing in the semifinals. In the semis, the top four entered in the final round, with the top two

competing in the championship match. Grabbing the bronze was Chris Celiz also of the Yellow Tigers. He beat Jayson Bondad of the Green Archers, 5-4, in the final round. ♦ Balbuena, Bandingan snatch golds in Badminton Yellow Tigers’ Achilles Phill Balbuena and Lilibeth Bandingan won the gold medals in the Men’s and Women’s Singles of the 2008 SEZ Badminton tournament. Balbuena turned back Green Archer Justin Jay Navarro, while Bandingan beat Kristine Pulido also of the Green Archers in their respective championship matches. Winning in the Doubles division were the Green Archers duo of Frederick Coronel and John Khristoffer Vergara, beating the Tigers’ Mark Silos and Michael Pamintuan in the finals. In the Mixed Doubles division, the Green Archers tandem of Navarro and Ethel Valerio overwhelmed the Blue Eagles’ Richard Camat and Karen Matawaran. ♦

FLAME January 2009

JANUARY 2009

Canal Road corner Labitan St., CBD, SBFZ Tel. No.: (047) 252-7392 Fax No.: (047) 252– 7397

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE ABOITIZ ENERZONES

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Erramon I. Aboitiz PRESIDENT, CEO Jaime Jose Y. Aboitiz EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, COO Benjamin A. Cariaso, Jr.

STAFF

BOX

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/LAYOUT ARTIST Raymund Tamayo ASSOCIATE EDITOR Dianne Iris Ubasa

FINANCE OFFICERS Corinne Grace Manalo, SEZ; Janice Veriña, MEZ/BEZ STAFF John Louis Ducos, Ethel Valerio, Justin Jay Navarro, Ryan Griva, Jerry Mark Famanila, Anielou Gelacio, Karen Matawaran, SEZ; Ava-Lou Perez, Kim Khyber Anton Niño Ang, Dennis Montebon, Aisah Ares, MEZ/BEZ EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS Mars Escobar and Ramny Guatelara GENERAL MANAGERS VP Dante Pollescas, SEZ; AVP Irwin Pagdalian, MEZ/BEZ

What drives us is a passion to do better every time.