ORIENTAL MINDORO ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.

"Ngiti ng paglilingkod, tapat na serbisyo ang kasunod..."

Oriental Mindoro Profile

Copyright © 2007 ORMECO, INC. All rights reserved...

Mindoro is one of the medium-size islands of the Philippines, with a total land area of about 20,200 square kilometers.  The central section of the island is mountainous, with some of the highest peaks in the Philippines.  In the areas east and west of the mountains, extensive plains and rolling topography are extensively cultivated, broad plains.  Oriental Mindoro is the nearest island province to Metro Manila. It lies 45 Km south of Batangas and 130 kilometers south of Manila with a latitude of 12° 50’ N and 14° N and 121° E and 121° E 10’E.  It is bounded on the North by Verde Island passage, on the east by Maestro del Campo Island and Tablas Strait, on the South by Semirara Island and on the West by Occidental Mindoro, the only other province within the Island of Mindoro. 

Mindoro is seismically active, and is subjected to a moderate number of typhoons.  The height of the central mountains and their proximity to the coast results in very high rainfall, estimated to be 5,000 to 6,000 mm per year at higher elevations.  Coastal rainfall at Calapan averages about 2,000 mm per year.

Physical

The trip by road from Manila to Batangas port takes several hours.  Much of the trip is on expressways now, by the south toll way from Manila to its end near Calamba in Laguna, then by 2-lane road, another stretch of new limited-access road, more 2-lane highway, and through the newly constructed CALABARZON expressway from Sto Tomas to Lipa City.

There are several fast craft ferries that travel through Batangas Port via Calapan Port. One of which is the Philippine Fast Ferry Company that runs about every two hours during daylight in 45 minutes.  Slower ferries that carry vehicles and cargo, called Roll On-Roll Off, or RoRo ferries leave less frequently and take about two to three hours for the same trip.  Jeepneys and motor tricycles can be rented at Calapan port, and buses meet the ferries.

Access

The Oriental Mindoro economy is dominated by agriculture and agri-business at this time.  There is a growing tourism sector, concentrated at Puerto Galera in the north.  There is some potential for mining, but there is little industrial development.

Economic Situation

Mindoro is relatively lightly populated, with a total of 1,062,000 inhabitants in the 2000 census.  The population density is only 156 persons per square kilometer in Oriental Mindoro and 65 persons per square kilometer in Occidental Mindoro, compared to a national average of 255, and a National Capital Region figure of 15,617.

Recent census figures and future projections are shown in the following table.

Population

Source:  National Statistics Office, Census Data and Publications.

Mindoro is part of the Southern Tagalog Region, Region IVB, of the Philippines, and has been divided into two provinces since 1950.  Oriental Mindoro includes 14 municipalities and one city (Calapan City).  Occidental Mindoro includes 11 municipalities.  The municipalities and city are further divided into Barangays.

Government

There are two electric cooperatives that serve all customers on Mindoro:  The Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ORMECO), and the Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (OMECO).  ORMECO serves the Dulangan Project area and owns and operates the mini-hydro plant.

Cooperatives

Electric distribution lines, at 13,200 Volts and below, are the responsibility of the cooperatives.

As of the end of 2006, ORMECO had extended distribution into 419 Barangays out of a possible 426, or 98 percent.

Distribution

National Power Corporation’s Strategic Power Utilities Group (SPUG) constructed 69 kv  transmission lines in Oriental Mindoro which extend from Puerto Galera in the north to Bansud in the south.  ORMECO built its own 69KV transmission lines from Bansud to Roxas.

An inter-provincial interconnection via a 69 kV line in the north was completed during 2001, from Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro to Mamburao in Occidental Mindoro.  SPUG plans to extend the line to the south, toward San Jose, in Occidental Mindoro.  That extension would link several small isolated grids served by diesel generators.  A future connection along the south coast to complete a transmission ring around the island has been discussed, but it is not included in current transmission plans.

Transmission

Electric Power Sector in Mindoro

Oriental Mindoro Generating Plants as of December 2006

Generation

The electric load has been growing slowly but steadily, with a current peak of about 24 MW.  The growth is constrained by supply reliability and ORMECO’s ability to extend power lines into new areas as there is a significant number of sitios still to be electrified in the whole coverage area. It is also hampered by the high power rates brought about by the expensive generation cost of diesel fed generators in the SPUG areas.

Load Growth

The LGUs and the EC are making a joint island-wide study to examine the future generation mix on Mindoro, including the many small and mini-hydro plants already studied by NPC, NEA, and private IPP developers; geothermal projects; wind projects; coal projects using locally mined coal; diesel power plants; natural gas plants fed from future pipeline connections; and energy imports and/or exports over an undersea interconnection with Luzon.

Provincial Cooperation