6-12 hour brownouts isn't apparently the worst case scenario. How about 9-14 hours... and counting? Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (OMECO) announced via local radio the schedule of a 9-hour rotational power outage starting today, May 13, 2015, to May 14, 2015, 8 am - 5pm. OMECO announced that the province-wide outage is for "maintenance" purposes. Residents from Mamburao, the capital of Occidental Mindoro, reported that the so-called rotational brownout actually lasted more than 10 hours. The power went off from 8am to 6pm in Mamburao and residents are expecting more until midnight today. Jef Sacoco, a Mamburao resident, posted on the 100% Brownout-Free Occidental Mindoro (BFOM) Facebook page, "today, straight brownout from 8am to 6pm, iba pa ung brownout from midnight to dawn, after 6pm, nasundan ng 7pm to 7:30pm.. of course, we are still expecting na may brownout pa from this time until 11:59pm." You can check out our page to find out more: https://www.facebook.com/NoBrownoutMindoro?ref=hl On the other hand, residents from San Jose, Rizal, and Magsaysay complained that they had intermittent power throughout the day and compared the unscheduled disruptions to "Christmas lights." Angelita Binoya of San Jose also posted on the BFOM Facebook : "Pinatapos lang fiesta ng San Jose at matagal na brown out muli." Residents from Sablayan, who rallied against the 7-12 hour brownouts in mid-April, are disgruntled that in less than a month they are once more facing hours-long brownouts. Julieanne Salcedo Dimayuga posted on Sablayan Opinion Board, posted "bakit po kaya kailangan pa ng OMECO na ipa-announce sa RADYO ang schedule ng BROWNOUT ? di naman po nasusunod katulad po ngayon ang iNanounce po e 8am-5pm po ang brownout e bakit po paputol-putol ? atsaka gabi na po wala pa.." In the meanwhile, as the brownouts continue to worsen in Occidental Mindoro, thousands of Filipinos all over the country and abroad are lending their voices to the province-wide Change.org #WantedIlaw petition. The petition calls on Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla and the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Consumer Welfare Promotions Office to urgently investigate and act on the daily brownouts in Occidental Mindoro. As long as Occidental Mindoro fails to get other adequate sources of power, brownouts this severe will continue to occur. As stated in the petition, OMECO is currently locked in legal battles with its lone independent power provider that has not produced a single watt of electricity since 2007. The province is totally relying on diesel-fed generators from NAPOCOR. OMECO has been urged countless of times to speak up, seek outside help if necessary, on behalf of its suffering member consumers. Today's brownout scenario clearly shows once more that simply "waiting for a miracle" is no longer a viable option for anyone living here. We have been doing that for almost two decades. The fact that the residents of Occidental Mindoro will have to go through this ordeal again tomorrow, and with no apparent end in sight for the daily brownouts, is the reason why we would like to urge those reading this update to please, PLEASE share this petition with as many people as you can. We badly need your help.