Relocation of NGCP transmission post
In 2016,
Councilor Celestino Dizon called on the NGCP to adhere to the city government’s
motion made in 2013 to move electric posts outside of the major thoroughfare to
safeguard the welfare of motorists and address traffic gridlock caused by their
presence.
Relocation of NGCP transmission post along JASA
February 16, 2018
A meeting held at Carworld Pampanga with different stakeholders represented by various landowners and
businessmen want a “status quo” on the relocation of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ (NGCP)
high-voltage transmission lines inside their respective property lines along Jose Abad Santos Avenue in this
city.
Primarily, because of safety & health issues (Like cancer, leukemia and possible earthquake).
Moreover, some of the stakeholders proposed that the steel posts be relocated to a less-populated open area
like farm lots, while some mentioned the common practice of underground electric transmission lines and the
consideration of double-circuiting an existing line rather than building a new line.
Relocation of NGCP transmission post
August 1, 2029
National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has started relocating its high-voltage transmission lines
standing along the Jose Abad Santos Avenue (Jasa) in the City of San Fernando.
•Meanwhile, Mayor Edwin Santiago, in a phone interview, said that 15 of the total 19 affected businessmen
have agreed on the relocation of the transmission lines nearer their property lines.
Santiago said other four affected businesses, which he did not identify, are yet to conform, as the NGCP already
sought for the intervention of the proper court to settle the concern on right of way.
•
“The city government cannot meddle with that issue anymore because it is already up to the court, but what
we requested to NGCP is to fast-track the relocation so the concerns of safety and order in Jasa will finally be
addressed,” he said.
Sept. 2, 2019 Republic Act 11361 – Anti Obstruction Power Lines
Act
RULE II. POWER LINE CORRIDOR
• Section 1. Power Line Corridor (PLC). – The PLC is constituted as the land beneath, the air spaces surrounding,
and the area traversed by power lines, which shall be kept clear and free from any power line obstructions,
dangerous structures, hazardous activities and improvements and other similar circumstances in accordance
with the provisions of the Act.
• Section 2. Determination of the PLC. – The PLC shall be determined by the BEE, in accordance with the
Philippine Electrical Code (PEC), and to be approved by the DOE.
• In accordance with Section 5 of the Act, and upon consultation with concerned stakeholders, the DOE hereby
approves and promulgates the updated clearance requirements for PLCs as determined and submitted by the
BEE, attached herein as Annex “A”. The same shall form as an integral part of this IRR. Through BEE, all affected
sections and standards of the latest publication of the Philippine Electrical Code are hereby revised and
amended.
• Any future proposed revisions or amendments by the BEE of the PEC on the detailed clearance requirements for
the PLCs, after its conduct of industry and public consultations, shall require prior approval of the DOE Secretary,
thus, wholly or partially, updating Annex “A” of this IRR. Any DOE- approved amendments, upon proper
notification to relevant stakeholders and the public, shall automatically update the relevant sections and
standards of PEC.
• Upon approval of the revised PLC detailed clearance requirements, the DOE shall notify all Power Line
Owners/Operators, relevant government agencies and instrumentalities, and the public of the revisions on the
PLC clearance requirements, and shall cause the publication of the updated PLC clearance requirements
accordingly
RULE III. PROHIBITED ACTS
Section 1. Prohibited Acts. – Pursuant to Section 6 of the Act, it shall be declared for any person,
either natural or juridical and whether public or private, to commit the following acts:
a) Plant or caused to be planted tall growing plants of whatever kind, variety or height within the PLC;
b) Construct or erect any hazardous improvements within the PLC;
c) Conduct or perform any hazardous activities within the PLC;
d) Prevent or refuse duly authorized agents of the Power Line Owner/Operator entry to the property in
the performance of the acts enumerated under Section 7 of the Act: Provided, that such entry is in
accordance with the provisions of Section 8 of the Act; and
e) Perform other analogous acts/activities which will impair the conveyance of electricity and cause
damage to power lines.
Power Line Corridor (PLC)
Distance from the center of the post
Transmission Line Distance from the center Total
69 Kv 7.5 meters to the right 7.5 meters to the left 15 meters
138 Kv 15.0 meters to the right 15.0 meters to the left 30 meters
230 Kv 20.0 meters to the right 20.0 meters to the left 40 meters
Illustration
Source : https://www.who.int/peh-emf/about/WhatisEMF/en/index1.html
Summary of health effects
What happens when you are exposed to electromagnetic fields?
• Exposure to electromagnetic fields is not a new phenomenon. However, during the 20th century, environmental exposure to man-made
electromagnetic fields has been steadily increasing as growing electricity demand, ever-advancing technologies and changes in social behaviour
have created more and more artificial sources. Everyone is exposed to a complex mix of weak electric and magnetic fields, both at home and at
work, from the generation and transmission of electricity, domestic appliances and industrial equipment, to telecommunications and broadcasting.
• Tiny electrical currents exist in the human body due to the chemical reactions that occur as part of the normal bodily functions, even in the
absence of external electric fields. For example, nerves relay signals by transmitting electric impulses. Most biochemical reactions from digestion to
brain activities go along with the rearrangement of charged particles. Even the heart is electrically active - an activity that your doctor can trace
with the help of an electrocardiogram.
• Low-frequency electric fields influence the human body just as they influence any other material made up of charged particles. When electric
fields act on conductive materials, they influence the distribution of electric charges at their surface. They cause current to flow through the body
to the ground.
• Low-frequency magnetic fields induce circulating currents within the human body. The strength of these currents depends on the intensity of the
outside magnetic field. If sufficiently large, these currents could cause stimulation of nerves and muscles or affect other biological processes.
• Both electric and magnetic fields induce voltages and currents in the body but even directly beneath a high voltage transmission line, the induced
currents are very small compared to thresholds for producing shock and other electrical effects.
• Heating is the main biological effect of the electromagnetic fields of radiofrequency fields. In microwave ovens this fact is employed to warm up
food. The levels of radiofrequency fields to which people are normally exposed are very much lower than those needed to produce significant
heating. The heating effect of radiowaves forms the underlying basis for current guidelines. Scientists are also investigating the possibility that
effects below the threshold level for body heating occur as a result of long-term exposure. To date, no adverse health effects from low level, long-
term exposure to radiofrequency or power frequency fields have been confirmed, but scientists are actively continuing to research this area.
Source : https://www.who.int/peh-emf/about/WhatisEMF/en/index1.html
Summary of health effects
Biological effects or health effects? What is a health hazard?
• Biological effects are measurable responses to a stimulus or to a change in the environment. These changes are not necessarily harmful to your
health. For example, listening to music, reading a book, eating an apple or playing tennis will produce a range of biological effects. Nevertheless,
none of these activities is expected to cause health effects. The body has sophisticated mechanisms to adjust to the many and varied influences
we encounter in our environment. Ongoing change forms a normal part of our lives. But, of course, the body does not possess adequate
compensation mechanisms for all biological effects. Changes that are irreversible and stress the system for long periods of time may constitute a
health hazard.
• An adverse health effect causes detectable impairment of the health of the exposed individual or of his or her offspring; a biological effect, on
the other hand, may or may not result in an adverse health effect.
• It is not disputed that electromagnetic fields above certain levels can trigger biological effects. Experiments with healthy volunteers indicate that
short-term exposure at the levels present in the environment or in the home do not cause any apparent detrimental effects. Exposures to higher
levels that might be harmful are restricted by national and international guidelines. The current debate is centred on whether long-term low
level exposure can evoke biological responses and influence people's well being.
Widespread concerns for health
• A look at the news headlines of recent years allows some insight into the various areas of public concern. Over the course of the past decade,
numerous electromagnetic field sources have become the focus of health concerns, including power lines, microwave ovens, computer and TV
screens, security devices, radars and most recently mobile phones and their base stations.
The International EMF Project
• In response to growing public health concerns over possible health effects from exposure to an ever increasing number and diversity of
electromagnetic field sources, in 1996 the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a large, multidisciplinary research effort. The International
EMF Project brings together current knowledge and available resources of key international and national agencies and scientific institutions.
Source : https://www.who.int/peh-emf/about/WhatisEMF/en/index1.html
Summary of health effects
• Conclusions from scientific research
In the area of biological effects and medical applications of non-ionizing radiation approximately 25,000 articles have been published
over the past 30 years. Despite the feeling of some people that more research needs to be done, scientific knowledge in this area is
now more extensive than for most chemicals. Based on a recent in-depth review of the scientific literature, the WHO concluded that
current evidence does not confirm the existence of any health consequences from exposure to low level electromagnetic fields.
However, some gaps in knowledge about biological effects exist and need further research.
• Effects on general health
Some members of the public have attributed a diffuse collection of symptoms to low levels of exposure to electromagnetic fields at
home. Reported symptoms include headaches, anxiety, suicide and depression, nausea, fatigue and loss of libido. To date, scientific
evidence does not support a link between these symptoms and exposure to electromagnetic fields. At least some of these health
problems may be caused by noise or other factors in the environment, or by anxiety related to the presence of new technologies.
• Effects on pregnancy outcome
Many different sources and exposures to electromagnetic fields in the living and working environment, including computer screens,
water beds and electric blankets, radiofrequency welding machines, diathermy equipment and radar, have been evaluated by the
WHO and other organizations. The overall weight of evidence shows that exposure to fields at typical environmental levels does not
increase the risk of any adverse outcome such as spontaneous abortions, malformations, low birth weight, and congenital diseases.
There have been occasional reports of associations between health problems and presumed exposure to electromagnetic fields, such
as reports of prematurity and low birth weight in children of workers in the electronics industry, but these have not been regarded by
the scientific community as being necessarily caused by the field exposures (as opposed to factors such as exposure to solvents).
• Cataracts
General eye irritation and cataracts have sometimes been reported in workers exposed to high levels of radiofrequency and
microwave radiation, but animal studies do not support the idea that such forms of eye damage can be produced at levels that are
not thermally hazardous. There is no evidence that these effects occur at levels experienced by the general public.
Source : https://www.who.int/peh-emf/about/WhatisEMF/en/index1.html
Summary of health effects
• Electromagnetic fields and cancer
Despite many studies, the evidence for any effect remains highly controversial. However, it is clear that if electromagnetic fields do have
an effect on cancer, then any increase in risk will be extremely small. The results to date contain many inconsistencies, but no large
increases in risk have been found for any cancer in children or adults.
• A number of epidemiological studies suggest small increases in risk of childhood leukemia with exposure to low frequency magnetic
fields in the home. However, scientists have not generally concluded that these results indicate a cause-effect relation between exposure
to the fields and disease (as opposed to artifacts in the study or effects unrelated to field exposure). In part, this conclusion has been
reached because animal and laboratory studies fail to demonstrate any reproducible effects that are consistent with the hypothesis that
fields cause or promote cancer. Large-scale studies are currently underway in several countries and may help resolve these issues.
• Electromagnetic hypersensitivity and depression
Some individuals report "hypersensitivity" to electric or magnetic fields. They ask whether aches and pains, headaches, depression,
lethargy, sleeping disorders, and even convulsions and epileptic seizures could be associated with electromagnetic field exposure.
• There is little scientific evidence to support the idea of electromagnetic hypersensitivity. Recent Scandinavian studies found that
individuals do not show consistent reactions under properly controlled conditions of electromagnetic field exposure. Nor is there any
accepted biological mechanism to explain hypersensitivity. Research on this subject is difficult because many other subjective responses
may be involved, apart from direct effects of fields themselves. More studies are continuing on the subject.
• The focus of current and future research
Much effort is currently being directed towards the study of electromagnetic fields in relation to cancer. Studies in search for possible
carcinogenic (cancer-producing) effects of power frequency fields is continuing, although at a reduced level compared to that of the late
1990's.
• The long-term health effects of mobile telephone use is another topic of much current research. No obvious adverse effect of exposure
to low level radiofrequency fields has been discovered. However, given public concerns regarding the safety of cellular telephones,
further research aims to determine whether any less obvious effects might occur at very low exposure levels.
Source : https://www.who.int/peh-emf/about/WhatisEMF/en/index1.html
NGCP Publications
1. https://business.inquirer.net/238699/informal-settlers-endanger-tra
nsmission-lines-says-ngcp
2. https://www.manilatimes.net/2016/08/23/business/ngcp-warns-vs-li
ving-under-transmission-lines/281486/
Supreme Court Decisions
1. G.R. No. 145328
2.
