GBP assures power supply amid COVID-19 quarantine

GLOBAL Business Power Corporation (GBP) has assured its customers of uninterrupted power as the region fights the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country.

Iloilo province was put on enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) starting March 20, 2020.

GBP, through subsidiaries Panay Energy Development Corporation, Panay Power Corporation and GBH Power Resources Inc., is a major supplier of electricity in the region, with a total capacity of 426 MW for the islands of Panay and Oriental Mindoro.

“We declared a plant lockdown for all power plants in Iloilo, Aklan and Mindoro effective March 20 to April 19, 2020.  Prior to the issuance of the ECQ ordinance by the local government, our Emergency Response Teams are already in place,” GBP Panay Site operations head Petronilo R. Madrid said in a statement.

“Our Business Continuity Plan is in order to ensure that operations continue and that our people are protected in this time of health emergency.  We are taking all possible steps to safeguard the well-being and health of our employees. They are our ‘frontliners’,” GBP president Jaime Azurin said.

“We salute their commitment to their call of duty. They are making a big sacrifice being away from their families to ensure that the whole province will have a stable supply of power during this time of crisis,” he added.

In Iloilo, 171 GBP personnel are now accommodated inside the power plant premises and 19 outside support personnel.  In the same way, 22 personnel and 12 personnel are staying inside the plants in Aklan and Mindoro, respectively.

“Those in the plant are involved in operations and maintenance, health and safety, commercial, procurement, admin, human resources and other support groups.  They will remain inside until April 19,” Madrid said.

“The company is providing them with accommodations and complete meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner, including Vitamin C tablets.”

The health of those within the plant is protected, with the regular disinfection and sanitization of buildings, facilities, and vehicles using diluted hypochlorite solution.

The lockdown restricts entry and exit of the premises, with the exception of deliveries of fuel, limestone, sand, and hypochlorite.

Personnel who need to enter the plant premises, for example, drivers of exempted deliveries, are strictly required to observe its Enhanced Safety and Health Protocol which is closely handled and monitored by the nurse.

Meanwhile, work-from-home or other alternative working arrangements were implemented for office and support personnel.  Their health status is also being monitored on a daily basis.