$30M Power Barges to Ensure Mindanao's Power Supply

Aboitiz Power Corporation has recently purchase two power barges worth $30 million to ensure Mindanao's power supply within the next few year.

This was bared byAboitiz Power President and Chief Executive Officer Erramon Aboitiz during a press conference held at The Marco Polo Davao yesterday.

"These two power barges are expected to play a key role in ensuring power supply in Mindanao," Aboitiz said. Mindanao's power supply is predominantly sourced from hydropower, he added, but in case of El Nino or if the water dries up then the barges will come very useful.

The two power barges, which are currently operational and located in Agusan and Maco, Pantukan in Compostela Valley Province, will be able to deliver 200 megawatts.

“Clearly power shortage is a threat,” Aboitiz said. “The two power barges will take care of it. The power barges are a good stopgap measure.”

A Power Summit is being planned for November this year to prepare for any power crisis in Mindanao which, according to the Mindanao Business Council, is already feeling the crisis. The power crisis in Mindanao has also been confirmed by Department of Energy undersecretary Zamzamin Ampatuan.

Then there was Noynoy

Senator Noynoy Aquino was in the city today to visit and confer with family friend Atty. Jesus V. Ayala, known to be a staunch supporter of his father Benigno Aquino before, and also of President Corazon Aquino.

Aquino first had a breakfast meet with the Lizada's at Bistro Rosario and then proceeded to the JVA office at Juna Subdivision. He met with Ayala for about an hour and talked with the media for a few minutes since he has to meet with Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and then fly to Zamboanga City.

"I am still contemplating my decision. kung ako lang matagal na sana ako nag-desisyon; ang kaso I have to consider my siblings and the other people who are showing their support for me and my family," Aquino said.

He said he is set to go on a retreat in Zamboanga and will meet with Sister Agnes of the Carmelite Congregation in Zamboanga City. Whatever his decision will be regarding the 2010 elections, he said it will have a spiritual component.

First there was Chiz

Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero was in the city last week for the Presidentiables Forum held at the Grand Regal Hotel. Only three of the supposedly Presidentiables joined the Forum among them Escudero, Senator Loren Legarda and Nicanor Perlas.

Escudero said he has not yet decided which position to vie for in the 2010 elections but said he will abide by his Party's decision.

On top of Escudero's priorities is an increased budget for agriculture not only for Mindanao but for the whole country as well. He said the reason why Mindanao could not attain long lasting peace is the lack of economic opportunities here. With an increased agriculture budget, he said, there will be more farm to market roads, increased production and lesser dependence on imports.

Power crisis in Mindanao now a reality-DOE

The Department of Energy confirmed that the supposedly looming power crisis in Mindanao is already happening.

This was the revelation made by DOE undersecretary Zamzamin Ampatuan, who said the power crisis everyone is talking about already exists and will get worse if the agencies and companies concerned are not able to provide a solution by end of the year.

“Indeed there is a shortage.” Ampatuan said the critical period has been known to the government, especially from the DOE’s point of view, as early as 2007. But for Mindanao, he added the critical period has already started this 2009 but the solution is still unclear.

He said the immediate solution identified by the government includes the putting up of new power plants. However, he said, only three power plants are actually committed but it will take about three years to get all of them done.

Among the three projects are the Sibulan Hydro which is currently being done, the Mindanao 3 at the peak of Mt. Apo which is on the way to completion and the Kabulig Hydro which is experiencing some problems

“And even if these guaranteed power plants are completed they will still be short of the projected shortage of around 400MW,” Ampatuan said.

The Conal Holdings Corporation of the Alcantaras has unveiled a $450 million coal-fired power plant in Sarangani Province, which can generate up to 200MW of power but Ampatuan said this would be up by 2013 and would probably be enough to sustain the requirement to be subsistent.

The DOE projected a peak demand of at least 1,525MW for the Mindanao power grid and that projection does not even include the increase in demand when the big malls like Robinsons and SM City start to operate in General Santos City.

National Grid Corporation of the Philippines Gensan manager Manuel Jamoy earlier said that they are projecting a required capacity of 2,556MW for the Mindanao Grid by 2014.

He said Mindanao needs new power plants by December but even the DOE is at a lost as to where this power requirement can be sourced from. “By December we are not expecting any new power plant to be up,” he said.

The projected operation of the Sibulan plant will be a little solution, he said, but it will not address the whole problem that we will face by December.
“The challenge of putting up something quick is very serious,” he said. While the country is faced with another political exercise in 2010, there is only one thing that will address the problem of a power crisis in Mindanao and the whole country and that is to be more efficient in terms of power usage.

A DOE program is eyeing to save between 400 to 500MW of power, which is equal to one power plant, through the used of incandescent bulbs. Also included in the solution is the construction of energy-efficient buildings.

“These are quick solutions that are immediately doable; everybody can be a participant from the poorest to the richest,” he said. If all of these are adopted, he added, we can save as much as 2000MW of power in one year.

Starting ‘em young: Ateneo booters see action during Kadayawan Football Fest

Ateneo booters 6 & under see action during the Kadayawan Fest at the Tionko Field last Satuday, August 22.. (l-r) Reino Martin Swan, Brylle Juris Carillo, Zane Garfin, Shan Tranquillan, Balahay, Clark Catolinan and Gabby Cuevas.


The Ateneo de Davao University has become popular not only for producing academic scholars, but also for producing top-notch football players who are making a name for themselves not only in the Philippines but in Europe as well.

Just recently, the Ateneo de Davao booters came back from Europe after joining the world’s most prestigious youth football tournament, the Gothia Youth World Cup, where they represented the Makati Football Club and the Philippine Team.

This time, the Jesuit school is starting them young by fielding representatives six years and under to the Kadayawan Football Festival held at the Tionko Field Saturday, August 22, 2009.

“The regular players are usually 14 and under, 12 and under and 8 and under but we are encouraging young players in the 6 and under category to participate in the sports development to prepare them early for the sports,’ Ateneo de Davao University Grade School Coach Nonoy Garfin said. Coach Lance Borromeo supervises the coaching of the 6 & under players.

He said keeping the children in the fields and into sports is one way of making sure they grow up to be A
disciplined individuals and productive members of society. At the Ateneo, he added, even Pre-schoolers and Grade 1 students who are interested in the sports undergo regular football training as part of their overall development.

The Ateneo 6 and under football players were composed of three teams namely the Footballers, Kickers and Fighters. The Ateneo 6 and under players competed with 6 and under football player from other schools like Southpoint and Sakya.

RP’s drug problem down by 75%, says Drugs Board Chair

The country’s drug abuse problem has decreased by almost 75% from the 6 million level in 2004 to only 1.7 million level in 2009.

“We have been very successful in our fight against drug abuse in the last five years,” Dangerous Drugs Board chairperson Sec. Vicente Sotto III said today during the nationwide seminar-workshop on Republic Act 9165 being held in Davao City from July 28 to 30.

RA 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 aims to provide more teeth to the government’s fight against illegal drug traffic and addiction by providing stiffer penalties for illegal drug use and pushing.

Proof of this success, Sotto said, is the latest research conducted by the Philippine Normal University and the Department along with the Department of Interior and Local Government. The result of the 2009 study, which was compared to the 2004 study, showed a positive effect in the government’s program versus drug abuse.

“The research show that the number of drug abusers has decreased form 6 million in 2004 to only 1.7 million in 2009,” Sotto said. The statistics is quite accurate, he added compared to what the other countries have been reporting to the United Nations.

Sotto said China recently submitted a report to the UN stating that they only have 1 million drug users. However, he added, this is an unbelievable figure considering that China has billions of people.

He said he brought the matter to the attention of the UN Committee on Drugs and Crime. It turned out that China only reported the number of dependents that are in their rehabilitation centers, he added.

If that would be the basis, he said, then the Philippines should amend its report because there are only 5,860 drug dependents in the country using that basis. “That’s comparing apples to apples and not apples to oranges,” he said.

DDB undersecretary Clarence Paul V. Oaminal said research shows that 92.68% of Filipinos haven’t tried drugs. “About 80% of the 7.23% Filipinos who have tried drugs admitted to have stopped,” he said.

Sotto said the drug abuse problem is so complex because “this is the only crime where the criminal is a victim and the victim is also a criminal.” However, he added, no country in the world is without such problem.

Despite the success, he said, both the prosecution and the enforcement groups should continue to work together to ensure that the drug abuse problem is minimized or even eradicated.

“But the illegal drug problem can never be won by enforcement but by families,” he said. This is why the government is making sure there are enough awareness and educational programs to help solve the problem.

MBC Chair gives PGMA an 8.5 rating

Mindanao’s business sector has given President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo a high passing rate if only for her contribution to the development of Mindanao’s infrastructure.

“If we are to rate her for her performance for the past nine years I would give her an 8 or an 8.5,” Mindanao Business Council chairperson Vicente Lao said yesterday even before the President could deliver her State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Lao said the President has been performing quite well in the areas of infrastructure, economy and human capital development.

“We never had a president who has very pronounced policies on human capital development and who has focused so much in solving the infrastructure problems of Mindanao,” he said.

Arroyo, he said, has given specific instructions that all infrastructure projects in Mindanao be completed before her term ends. Economy-wise, he added, Arroyo has also performed well considering that her administration has been unlucky with the global economic crisis.

Lao cited Arroyo’s scholarship programs for human resources development to prepare the Filipinos skills-wise. He said the President’s program ensured that even if the government can’t provide jobs for all its people, then they are properly trained for work abroad.

However, Lao cited the lack of livelihood opportunities for Mindanao. Without livelihood, he added, there will be no development and no peace at all. “People do not even know where to look for jobs,” he said.

This is the reason why it is hard for these people to appreciate what the government is doing for them, he added.

Arroyo stressed the completion of various infrastructure projects specifically in Mindanao during her term. She said the Davao International Airport has been completed during her administration