BRACE YOURSELF FOR LONG DARK NIGHTS; THE BROWNOUTS WILL GO ON UNTIL 2015

I may not be in government but I still consider myself a leader of the huge number of people who still believe in me, and mind you, even those who do not like me and do not believe in me.

In the midst of the long dark nights because of the power crisis in Mindanao, it is painful to hear our political leaders declare that the brownouts adversely affecting the lives of people are beyond their control.

One of them was even heard saying: “Go ask COTELCO (Cotabato Electric Cooperative), that’s their problem.”

When the ordinary balut maker, ice cream and ice drop maker, when the small printing press operators who are trying to make hay during the election campaign period, when hotel and restaurant owners, when meat and fish vendors, when small processors and even parents of children who are sick complain that the brownouts are hurting them, is it right to say that the power crisis is COTELCO’s problem?

Every problem hurting the people of a town should be the Mayor’s concern; every crisis affecting the lives of the people in a province should be the Governor’s concern and every issue affecting the Filipino people should be the President’s concern.

A brownout which would last 2 to 3 hours is still bearable. But when you are talking of brownouts lasting up to 9 hours everyday, it is simply unacceptable.

Just like the rest of the people in North Cotabato, I suffer from the brownouts but unlike our political leaders now who would rather wash their hands of the responsibility for the long brownouts, I am willing to do something.

The other day, as I was preparing my communication to President Benigno Aquino III to ask for his intercession in alleviating the power crisis, I called up the manager of COTELCO to be able to understand the real situation.

Here are the bits of important information shared by Engr. Godofredo Homez, manager of COTELCO:

1. The NPC-PSALM which is handling the power generation and power generation business in the country cannot supply the requirements of the different electric cooperatives in Mindanao;

2. COTELCO is getting only 13.5megawatts out of its requirement of 42megawatts or a power supply defficiency of 28.5megawatts;

3. There is no immediate relief in sight as the two Coal-Powered Electric Generation Plants in Binugao, Davao City and in Maasin, Saranggani will not be operational until 2015;

4. Even if the Coal-Powered Plants will be operational by 2015, the power requirement of COTELCO will not still be satisfied as it has only paid a reservation fee good for only 8megawatts.

“We could not afford to pay for added reservations because the required deposit is simply too high at 50% of the projected cost of power to be purchased,” Engr. Homez told me.

The reality is that even with the completion of the two Coal Power Generation Plants in Mindanao, the people of North Cotabato will still suffer from brownouts.

That is unless and until, our political leaders will stop washing their hands and display the will and determination to confront the terror of darkness enveloping the whole province now.

At the risk of being accused of boastfulness, let me reprint here that plans of action that I will undertake should God grant me the chance of serving my people as Governor again:

“1. Immediately upon assumption to office, I will invite all the other Governors of the different provinces in Mindanao, including the Congressmen and the mayors to an Island-wide Energy Conference and come up with steps on how to address the power crisis.

2. During the Energy Conference I will ask the other Mindanao leaders to join me in asking President Noynoy Aquino to direct the Department of Energy to facilitate the assignment of power barges in the different areas of Mindanao to immediately address the power crisis. I expect this to put an end to the brownouts suffered by the people of North Cotabato now.

3. As Governor of North Cotabato, I will explore the hydropower potentials of the province, including the Kabacan River in Magpet town and the Libungan River upstream in Alamada.

I believe the Province of North Cotabato should exercise its corporate powers and invest in hydropower generation.

Come to think of this: If the Kabacan River hyrdropower project will generate 15MegaWatts as indicated in a feasibility study earlier conducted and if the Libungan River Hydropower project will produce 50MW, the 35MW requirement of the Cotabato Electric Cooperative (COTELCO) will be more than satisfied, with an extra 30MW which the provincial government could sell to NPC-PSALM or directly to other cooperatives and generate revenues for the province.”

Then and only then can we provide relief to our suffering people and build a province which will be energy-independent for generations to come.

(photo credit: candle in the dark by antoniwho.jpg)