‘Koko’ slams unresolved power crisis

Manila Standard Today
By Macon Ramos-Araneta, Othel V. Campos and William Jun Garcia | May. 10, 2014 at 12:01am

SENATOR Aquilino Pimentel III on Friday slammed the government for what he called its failure to provide a solution to the power crisis in Mindanao.

“Our people are angry. This burden has gone on for too long,” he said.

“They have to tell our people when the situation will improve.”

Pimentel called for public hearings in at least three major cities in the south on the power situation, saying the Mindanaoans continued to suffer 10-hour daily power outages and faced a long hot summer.

He said the Mindanaoans would cooperate “as long as they know that the solution is in sight and there is merit in making further sacrifices.”

Pimentel made his statement even as Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla said the long rolling blackouts in Mindanao were about to ease starting next week with the resumption of the operation of Steag Power Inc.

The first unit of Steag went on stream three days ago after its repair following its closure as a result of the damage to its turbines.

“We presume that the [blackout] incidents will be further lessened once the second unit of [of Steag] is fixed by June 1,” Petilla said.

“We’re pushing for coal [plants] and about 500 megawatts are coming in this year. Hydro plants are difficult to manage. Their unpredictability makes them an unstable source of electricity for Mindanao.”

In San Fernando City, meanwhile, an official said the entire country was in dire need of heavy rain to fill the dams and ensure enough water for irrigation.

“We badly need rain to raise the level of the water in the dams and to ease the effects of El Niño,” said Landrico Dalida, a deputy administrator of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

“We need at least one typhoon or heavy rainfall. Most of the dams are nearing critical level.”

But Dalida said a typhoon was not possible this month because there were no clouds in the Pacific.

Pimentel, who was born in Mindanao, identified Davao City, Zamboanga City and Cagayan de Oro City as the possible venues for the public hearings on the power situation as he warned against band-aid solutions.

He said the power shortage in the south had persisted since 2010, contributing to the economic slowdown on the island.

He said the National Economic and Development Authority had identified the chronic power shortages as the “most binding constraints” to Mindanao’s economic growth.

According to a 2010 census, Mindanao is home to more than 25 million Filipinos and is a major agricultural hub, producing eight of the top 10 commodities exported from the Philippines. source