By Lorie A. Cascaro
Regarding a recent statement by former senator Juan Miguel Zubiri on power shortages in Mindanao, describing daily brownouts as “catastrophic”, Secretary Luwalhati Antonino of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) said Thursday the power situation in Mindanao is not really that bad to be regarded catastrophic.
Speaking at the Philippine Information Agency regional office in Davao City, Antonino said there are solutions to the problem of the power crisis in Mindanao.
She said this problem is “solvable” and that people should refrain from giving immediate reactions such as calling it “catastrophic”.
“Nakakatakot naman yang word na catastrophic,” she said, adding that prospective investors might say, “Ang gulo na nga sa Mindanao, wala pa kayong power, ayaw na namin dyan.”
Antonino said she would ask the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) the reason for the daily brownouts when she meets Tuesday with the Department of Energy and Mindanao legislators.
“I’d just like to question NGCP bakit tayo nagkakaroon ng brownouts at this time. Onset na ba ng El Niño? Bumaba na ba ang level ng river sa Pulangi at Agus?” she said.
She told reporters that the National Power Corporation had said they could still supply 45 megawatts (MW) since last month, adding that the NGCP consumes only 180 MW from Pulangi River 1 when it can supply 225 MW.
“So may 45 MW pa, bakit ngayon nagkakaroon ng brownout?” she said. Agus River Dam has a power generating capacity of 150 MW, she added, but the NGCP only avails of 130 MW, thus there is an extra of 20 MW.
Adding all the excess generating capacities of the two rivers, Antonino said, “That’s 65 na pwede pa namang gamitin for now.” She already talked to Secretary Almendras about her problem with the NGCP.
Since the last semester of 2011, certain areas in Mindanao, particularly General Santos City, Polomolok, Sarangani and Tampakan have been experiencing daily brownouts for at least two hours duration.
Zeroing-in
Being a resident of General Santos City who is also affected by the daily brownouts, Antonino suspects that they are being “zeroed-in” by the NGCP for opposing the deal between the South Cotabato I Electric Cooperative (SOCOTECO 1) and Conal Holdings Corporation, owner of a coal-fired power plant in Maasim, Sarangani.
The cooperative is willing to buy electricity from Conal, she noted, but they are not willing to sign the contract.
“That is why I’m very passionate about this because bakit meron kaming brownout eh meron pa kayong hindi kinukuha sa Pulangi? Para bang what are you trying to tell us?
I-zezeroin nyo talaga kami? Why? Just because we don’t want to sign the contract?”
“That is so onerous,” she said.
She said, stated in the contract is that the base load of SOCOTECO1 will be sourced from Conal. At present, 70 percent of their power source comes from the hydro power plants, while the rest are from the national grid.
With the contract, 70% of their base load will be provided by Conal, which is “twice as much as expensive as the hydro,” she said, adding that it’s the NGCP that allocates distribution of electricity to regions. “Sila ang nag aallocate kaya nga sinsiro kami sa Gensan kasi pinakamaingay ang grupo sa Gensan. And that’s the work of NGCP,” she added.
Antonino said she wants the NGCP to be more truthful and give a full disclosure so the people will know the real score.
“It’s unfair for Mindanaoans to suffer brownouts if there is indeed available power coming from the hydro power plant,” she said.
Don’t privatize hydro
Antonino also said that Mindanaoans should unite against the privatization of hydro power plants. She said the hydro power plants give almost 40% profit.
“Biruin mo napakalaking profit for whoever buys the hydro electric power plant. Kung may pera lang ako, ako na ang unang bibili kasi sigurado na 40 percent ang income ko,” she said.
