If this was happening in SA, we would all be grumbling loudly but the call to conserve energy to avoid a blackout during the big Pacquiao-Mayweather flight in the western Phillipines seems to be taken it in its stride. “Collectively we can do something (about this)” is the call from the Palawan authorities. Maybe Minister Lynne Brown could learn something from this more rousing call to action. It seems more productive than the usual finger-wagging “get used to it” speech. – Gill Moodie
From AFP

Residents of the western Philippines are being asked to turn off their refrigerators so there will be enough electricity to watch this weekend’s fight between local boxing legend Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.
Rante Ramos, secretary of the electrical cooperative on the island of Palawan, posted the appeal on Facebook on Wednesday, saying that the area faced a power shortfall that might result in an outage on Sunday when the long-awaited fight airs in the Philippines.
“Truth is, come May 3… Palawan grid would still be 2-megawatt short of power supply. Some circuits may inevitably be switched off,” he warned.
“Collectively we can do something. On May 3, let’s all voluntarily switch off or disconnect as many appliances as we could,” he said, asking that about 15,000 homes switch off their refrigerators for a few hours.
He also urged people not to use their washing machines, air-conditioners and irons until the fight is over.
Palawan’s capital of Puerto Princesa has been suffering daily power outages lasting two to three hours due to a supply shortfall.
However the entire nation is eagerly anticipating the “fight of the century” between Pacquiao, regarded as a national figure, and unbeaten American Mayweather to finally answer who is the better pound-for-pound boxer of their generation. © 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse