Davao’s religious sector decries SOGIE bill, says provisions discriminatory to religion, IPs

P1.5-B submarine cable won’t alleviate Samal’s power woes: consumers group

The P1.5-billion submarine cable project that will link up the Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos) to a grid in Pantukan, Davao de Oro will not alleviate the power situation in the island, a consumers organization in Davao Region said.

In a statement on Thursday, Davao Consumer Movement co-convenor Ryan Amper said that contrary to claims by the Northern Davao Electric Cooperative (Nordeco) a submarine cable won’t solve the power supply problem of Samal Island, considered a prime tourism destination of Davao.

Amper added the project has yet to secure approval from government regulatory agencies, particularly from the Energy Regulatory Commission, as well as from the local governments of Pantukan and Igacos.

He said the electric cooperative has not yet complied with the requirement of the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for the issuance of an environmental compliance certificate since the project “will have an impact on the environment.”

He said Nordeco should have prioritized fixing the existing submarine cable that was destroyed on Christmas Day last year, which would only cost the electric cooperative around P10 million.

He said this would provide an

By MAYA M. PADILLO

immediate solution to the power woes experienced by consumers on the island.

He said the group suggested building a cable system under the Samal Island-Davao City Connector bridge that would cost Nordeco about P200 million, which is cheaper compared to the plan of constructing a 25-kilometer submarine cable system from Igacos to Pantukan.

In a statement, Davao del Norte Gov. Edwin Jubahib said he is supporting the Tagum Chamber of Commerce and the Davao Consumer Movement “in their protest against the high power rates and poor services of Nordeco.”

He said the exorbitant power rates and poor services of Nordeco bear negative impact on the tourism industry, particularly in Tagum City and Igacos.

He said the availability of reliable and affordable power services is critical to ensure the comfort and safety of visitors.

He said tourism is a significant contributor to the local economy, but tourism-related businesses such as hotels, restaurants, and resorts in Tagum and Igacos “are facing increasing operational costs, which can result in higher prices for tourists” amid the higher power rates.

“Small businesses and industries that rely on electricity for their operations have been strug-

Areligious

sector in Davao City decried the provisions of the proposed sexual orientation, gender identity expression, and sexual characteristics (SOGIESC) bill claiming that its provisions are discriminatory to religion including to the belief of the Indigenous People (IP).

Dennis Castillanes, spokesperson of the Davao Evangelical Association of Ministers, said on Wednesday that the eight bills, which were consolidated into the Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination (CAD) Bill being opposed by millions of Filipinos because of its discriminatory provisions.

“Our primary concern is CAD ang title but if you go deep down sa maong provisions it’s very discriminatory sa religious, IPs, and other straight communities. The Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) aired their concerns as well as the Iglesia ni Kristo. I joined two com- mittee hearings ug nakita didto ang ilahang mga presentation. Probably, about 24 percent of the population ang ma-discriminate sa bill para lang paburan ang few. They’re making friends with the few by making enemies with the super majority,” he said during the AFP PNP Press Corps media forum on Wednesday at The Royal Mandaya Hotel.

Last month, the House Committee on Women and Gender Equality chaired by Bataan’s First District Representative Geraldine Roman conducted an initial FDAVAO’S, P10