Everyone knows, or everyone should know, what brownouts are. We've all experienced them at one time or another. In some places they prefer to call them blackouts, but the word "blackout" has multiple meanings whereas "brownout" specifically deals with power loss.

Brownouts are a fact-of-life here in the Philippines. Rarely does a week go by without a least one brownout occurring. Compared to the first time I was here back in the early 80's, it's a lot better now than then. Back then, brownouts occurred nearly every day.

The fact is, the population is increasing and the "per person" demand for electricity is increasing and the electrical infrastructure just can't handle the growth rate. The residential areas of Olongapo City, for example, are growing incredibly fast. In 1988, the road I now live on did not exist (even though an earlier version of the house did). Now, it has houses on both sides from the lower crossroad to the end at the top of mountain. Amazing.