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Friday, June 09, 2006
Firm, lumads ink power project Friday
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
AN AGREEMENT for the establishment of a Mindanao Backbone Transmission Project costing P8 billion will be signed Friday between the National Transmission Corp. (TransCo) and tribal groups.
TransCo-Mindanao department manager Emmanuel Abellanosa and corporate communications officer Raffy Magbanua said their company and the Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) will sign the memorandum of agreement as part of the requirements for the above multi-billion project.
Magbanua said the agreement is a pre-requisite to the National Commission for Indigenous People's issuance of a Certification Precondition as required under the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act.
"It will be a momentous gathering as this memorandum of agreement will now allow Mindanao's biggest power transmission project, the 334-kilometer Abaga-Kirahon-Maramag-Bunawan 230 Kv Transmission Line, to traverse ancestral domain areas," he said.
Magbanua said Friday's ceremony at Pryce Plaza Hotel will also include the signing of an agreement between the Federation of Matigsalog-Manobo Tribal Councils.
He said their councils are at the borders of Davao and Bukidnon provinces, Palalan Higaonon Tribal Council of Tablon, Cagayan de Oro and Pualas Higaonon Tribal Council of Baungon, Bukidnon.
"Upon the signing of the agreement, the three tribal councils will give their full consent to TransCo to manage, administer, regulate and undertake the construction and operation and maintenance of the multi-billion transmission line project," he said.
He added that among the salient provisions of the agreement include the granting of financial assistance to the affected tribal communities and granting of security services contracts, among others.
Magbanua said the construction of the Mindanao Backbone Transmission Project, a flagship project of TransCo under the Mindanao Transmission Augmentation Program or MINTA will start October 2006 and expected to be completed on June 2009.
He said the project is aimed at enhancing TransCo's transmission capability and security to ensure stable and reliable power delivery generated from the Agus Hydro Electric Power Complex.
Also by the Pulangui Hydro Electric Plant and the soon to-be-completed 200 Megawatt Mindanao Coal-Fired Power Plant in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental that will soon start operations this January 2007.
Magbanua said the signing ceremony will be attended by TransCo officials led by president and chief executive officer Dr. Alan T. Ortiz, vice president for project management Dominador S. Geonzon and North Central Mindanao area manager Emmanuel D. Abellanosa.
He said tribal communities will be represented by Datu Roelito Gawilan, Datu Danilo "Macapanton" Narido, and Datu Tumanod Alfredo Mozal Sr.
Also on hand are NCIP Regional Director Datu Tommie J. Labaon and Lawyer Joy Marie Badal Pamisa, he said.
He added that invited to grace the occasion are Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus G. Dureza and Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Vicente Emano.
(June 9, 2006 issue)
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