Wednesday, May 14, 2008 Montelibano: Stop opposing PNOC-EDC Kanlaon project
THE pressure is on the Provincial Board of Negros Occidental whether it would approve or not Wednesday the proposal of the Philippine National Oil Company-Energy Development Corporation (PNOC-EDC) to enter the Mt. Kanlaon buffer zone for a 30-megawatt (MW) expanded geothermal drilling.
But Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) president Roberto Montelibano said: "It's really high time now for the Provincial Board to endorse the PNOC-EDC proposal, which simply meant a stable power situation in the province soon."
The Provincial Board will hold its session at 3 p.m. Wednesday. Board Member Nehemias de la Cruz, chair of the committee on energy, has already committed to endorse the PNOC-EDC proposal.
Montelibano meanwhile made an also appeal to the opposing environmentalist groups in Negros. "The clock is ticking, so please stop opposing now," he said.
This as he clarified that the opposition should have voiced out their concerns before Congress had acted and sliced off the 168 hectares away from the Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park years ago.
"Why only now? It's too late already because we really badly need power in the years to come or else, business and investments will suffer," Montelibano stressed.
Montelibano, on behalf of the MBCCI and the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco), led the signing of a manifesto of support for PNOC-EDC's proposal at the Capitol Tuesday.
Ceneco's counterpart in southern Negros -- the Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (Noceco) -- also signed a similar manifesto in favor of PNOC-EDC.
The Bacolod Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BFCCCI), headed by businessman James Chua, likewise support the geothermal project and had submitted its position paper to the Provincial Board.
Before leaving for Malaysia and Singapore Tuesday, Manapla Mayor Manuel Escalante III has endorsed the PNOC-EDC plan.
Escalante, also president of the Association of City Executives in the province, stressed: "We need to sacrifice for the sake of our economy. Any damage in the environment can be cured later through reforestation."
Erwin Magallanes, PNOC-EDC environmental superintendent, has earlier assured that trees to be cut at the buffer zone due to their expansion project would be replenished 10 times, through the company's well-sustained reforestation project.
PNOC-EDC is targeting to produce about 30 mws geothermal output from the Kanlaon's buffer zone.
This is to augment the present six mws production of the Northern Negros Geothermal Power Plant (NGGPP) in Mailum, Bago City.
In all, PNOC-EDC envisions to produce at least 49 mws from 2010 to 2011 and so on, to arrest the present power deficit of about 31MWs.
The PNOC-EDC also committed that the 49 mws will be solely for Negros consumption despite the fact that at present, Ileco (Iloilo Electric Cooperative) is the one buying power from NNGPP, Magallanes disclosed.
But environmentalists in Negros estimated that with PNOC-EDC's entry to the buffer zone, about 7,800 trees would be cut, amounting to P58.1-billion more or less in terms of damage.
These groups include the Green Alert Negros, Peace Net, PAP 21, Paghilu-usa sa Paghidaet-Negros and Save Mt. Kanlaon Movement.
Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra is also joining them in opposing such plan.
Montelibano earlier said they respect the bishop's decision but stressed the latter should also respect theirs, adding that Negros can't withstand having a power crisis soon. (Erwin Ambo Delilan)
