KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines - Various non-government organizations and residents here and in 17 towns of North Cotabato are opposing the planned construction of a third geothermal plant in Mt. Apo.
The groups opposing the project drafted a manifesto Thursday stating the project will only benefit the private operator of the facility and the industries owned by multi-national outfits.
Residents here and in surrounding North Cotabato towns have been complaining of the reluctance of the Energy Development Corp., which operates the two existing geothermal plants at the foot of Mt. Apo here, and the National Power Corp. to allocate to local power consumers at least 25 percent of the facilities' output.
The Department of Energy has a rule obliging hydro-electric and geothermal plants to provide electricity to host cities and provinces.
The power utility serving Kidapawan City and the 17 towns of North Cotabato has been rationing electricity for more than three months now owing to lack of supply from the state-run hydro-electric plants in Lanao del Sur and Bukidnon.
Sectors opposing the planned setting up of another geothermal plant here staged a rally last week to express their opposition to the project.
They also endorsed a copy of their manifesto to the city council, whose presiding chair, Vice Mayor Joseph Evangelista, sued officials of the EDC, the Napocor and the DOE for failing to provide the local communities of the mandated power allocation.
The two geothermal plants were constructed by the Philippine National Oil Corp. about two decades ago. source
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