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AS OF 5:47 P.M., MAR. 23, 2012 (Friday)
FOREX
PHISIX
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5,042.44 points
1.08 points
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Energy Program
BUTUAN City -- The government’s Sitio Electrification Program (SEP) that is being implemented by various electric cooperatives under the close supervision of National Electrification Administration (NEA) has already benefited some 12,874 households throughout Mindanao. At present, SEP has already energized 545 far-flung villages in Mindanao. Late last year, the NEA, in partnership with 96 electric cooperatives, already energized some 1,520 sitios, benefiting around 33,189 households. It was learned that under the Agusan del Norte Electric Cooperative (Aneco) alone, some 35 sitios or remotes villages were already energized, benefiting 2,086 households.
Response team
GENERAL Santos City -- The provincial government of South Cotabato activated a quick response team (QRT) that will handle all medical-related concerns of participating athletes in the ongoing Cotabato Regional Athletic Association (CRAA) meet in nearby Koronadal City. The week-long 2012 edition of the CRAA meet, which is a qualifying stage for next month’s Palarong Pambansa in Pangasinan, officially opened on Sunday. Dr. Rogelio Aturdido, South Cotabato health officer, said the local government-led team will specifically deal with serious illnesses that may need advance attention or treatment at a medical facility.
Kidapawan drive
KIDAPAWAN City -- The city government here is strictly implementing its anti-smoking ordinance, apprehending last week a former chief of police and a retired Army officer in a non-designated area inside the city’s public market. Civil Security Unit (CSU) chief Andres Malinao said the two did not resist arrest even if they were not aware that the city government is already enforcing the ordinance. Both decided to pay the penalties for their violation. While three other violators rendered twohour community service inside the market instead of paying the charges.
By IRENE DOMINGO, Reporter
T
HE SENATE was asked to look into the power situation in Mindanao in a bid to address an apparent shortage.
In a statement, Senator Francis “Chiz” Joseph G. Escudero, who is a member of the Joint Congressional Power Commission, said he filed Senate Resolution 753 that asked the energy committee to “confirm its [Mindanao power] true situation, determine the issues to be resolved and
institute policy reforms.” The probe may even “mean amending Republic Act 9136” or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001, he said. Mr. Escudero said the inquiry should also look into conflicting reports on the state of power generation on the island.
According to the statement, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), which has been blamed for the daily power outages, has claimed that the power supply in Mindanao was “acutely short due to lack of power supply generated by plants.” This was backed by the Energy department, according to the statement, which instead blamed the electric cooperatives for refusing to increase capacities; this has resulted in four- to eight-
hour daily blackouts. The outages “should not [have been happening,] because there is an untapped 65 megawatts from the state-owned power plants,” Mindanao Development Authority Chairman Luwalhati R. Antonino earlier said. She accused the NGCP of creating an “artificial shortage” in its bid to have the Agus-Pulangi baseload hydroelectric plant privatized, the statement said. Mr. Escudero, mean-
while, suggested “opening the market” for more groups to construct power plants in Mindanao. “There is a dormant asset lying in the electric cooperatives nationwide who has an asset base of P130 billion at any given time,” he said. “The Agus-Pulangi hydro power plants, which supply half of Mindanao’s power demand, need to be rehabilitated for at least P3 billion so it can generate SHORTAGE/PAGE 9
Blackouts may be inevitable for Davao By CARMELITO Q. FRANCISCO Correspondent
DAVAO City -- Half-hour power outages may be experienced in the Davao Region should further cuts be made by the grid operator, even as thinning reserves have partially mitigated a worse situation, the distributor said. The Davao Light and Power Co. has informed its customers that it might BLACKOUTS/PAGE 10
Biggest B-Meg plant to rise in Villanueva By GERRY L. GORIT, Reporter
MISAMIS Oriental -- The biggest B-Meg plant in the Visayas-Mindanao area will soon rise in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental. Sitting on a 15-hectare site, the plant will take about a year to be constructed PLANT/PAGE 10
KIDS AT WORK. The lack of employment opportunities among parents is one of the major causes PHOTO BY MIO CADE of forced labor among minors.
BSP grants regulatory relief for those affected by Sendong By ELAINE O. RATUNIL, Contributor
TIME CAPSULE. A time capsule is lowered at the site of the proposed B-Meg plant in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental. Leading the ceremony is town Mayor Juliette T. Uy, with B-Meg Vice President and General Manager Dr. Norman C. Ramos. PHOTO BY GERRY L . GORIT
THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), through the issuance of Memorandum No. M-2012-001 dated January 3, granted relief measures to banks to enable them to similarly assist and ease the financial burden of bank customers adversely affected by the tropical storm Sendong. Thus disclosed Director Gail
U. Fule of BSP’s Central Point of Contact Department, in reference to the consolidated petition of the Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry to President Benigno Aquino III requesting to grant relief for bank customers affected by Sendong particularly in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. In particular, the petition wish RELIEF/PAGE 11
Davao flight route revived DAVAO City -- Cebubased Mid-SEA Express has revived flights between Davao City and a port city in Indonesia. Jo h n G o l d e t o T. Baricuatro, representative of the airline in the city, said the route is serviced by a 19-seater Jet Stream aircraft that can ROUTE/PAGE 10