The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported President Benigno
Aquino III as stating, the Philippine economy could lose 23.3B pesos next year
due to the threat of severe power shortage. If this shortage is not addressed
soon, households and businesses should expect at least five hours of daily rotating
power interruptions for three months. Government has been asking Congress for
temporary emergency powers designed to arrest the situation before the dry,
summer months arrive. But, because of political bickering, this has been
stalled; leaving consumers hanging on to their hats in anticipation of the
worst. Trusting politicians to do the right thing is currently not an option.
When the health of your business and interests of your clients are at stake, you
should start taking action.
BCP is Continuity
Businesses, at this time, should be preparing for contingency
plans ahead of time in order to negate, or at least, minimize the effects of
the looming power crisis. Business Continuity Plans should be reviewed, tested,
and refined to cope with the challenge. If you do not have a BCP in place, you
still have enough time to brainstorm and come-up with one. A BCP is doubly
crucial for Small and Medium Enterprises. Normally, small and medium sized
operations tend to be more vulnerable. If a crisis scenario lasts for several
weeks, it could prove fatal.
Acquire Alternative Sources of Power
Operations in prime locations usually have one less thing to
worry about. Most buildings in major business districts have powerful back-up
generators that can sustain the power needs of their tenants. If your building
does not, try to consider several options; including moving to an alternative
location, before March 2015. Another thing you should consider is acquiring
power generators that can support your operations when there is an interruption.
You can find several businesses online who sell or lease-out power generator sets.
Challenges in Commuting
Consider also the commute of your employees. If you think the
metro traffic can’t get any worse, think again. Traffic lights and the Metro
trains are powered by electricity. If these facilities go, expect traffic chaos
and anarchy to erupt. Tardiness and attendance issues will fluctuate over time,
and could adversely affect productivity. Make sure your employees are aware of
the impending crisis and tell them to try alternate routes as early as now. Any continuity plans should enjoy the support and cooperation of each employee.
Alternative Locations
Big businesses have multiple locations, and each location
has the capacity compensate for the loss of productivity at other sites. Others
have established temporary locations to house the most crucial parts of their operations
in case of disaster scenarios. Another alternative would be allowing some of
your employees to work from home. You should look at web-based programs and
cloud computing that would allow employees to access systems and information
from their homes or nearby locations.
Your customers won’t care much about disasters or crisis. It
is your duty to make sure someone will answer the phone, respond to emails, and
deliver goods and services. That is why you should prepare your business to
face the challenge.
