Monday, December 17, 2007 Naga power project gets RDC's nod
THE Regional Development Council (RDC) full council endorsed last week the new Naga substation project to the investment coordination committee (ICC) of the National Economic Development Authority (Neda), but not without a hitch.
The National Transmission Corp. (Transco) proposed the project, located in Upper Cayam, Barangays Colon and Tuyan, City of Naga, Cebu “to improve the reliability, provide flexibility and increase efficiency of transmission to the Visayas grid.”
The infrastructure development committee last month approved the project last month and endorsed it to the RDC full council.
Just as it was about to be approved, City of Naga Mayor Valdemar Chiong asked if the project had the endorsement of the barangay.
Transco division manager Philip Dasalla told the body that the company was about to do so but they couldn’t get it on time because of the barangay elections last Oct. 29.
Dasalla, though, said that a public hearing was conducted and the City Council was apprised of the project for endorsement.
Chiong said he was aware of the letter they wrote to the City Council but that the company should go through the process of getting the necessary barangay clearances.
Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, RDC chairperson, asked Transco if it could come up with Chiong’s request.
Presidential Management Staff Director General Cerge Remonde advised the body to just approve the project, pending clearances, because there are too many projects passed to the Neda-ICC for evaluation.
“It was just a clarification that I hope the project will go through the process,” said Chiong, adding that he was amenable to Remonde’s suggestion.
Dumanjug Mayor Cesar Baricuatro, also president of the League of Municipalities (LMP) Cebu Chapter, said Transco should also look into the traffic situation in the south when the construction starts.
The substation is also expected to accommodate an additional transmission line and generating units such as the 22-megawatt coal-fired thermal power plant of Korea Electric Power Corp.
The project is estimated to cost P1.156 billion and expected to be finished in June 2010.
Another Transco project approved by the RDC is the Bohol backbone transmission project to prevent the overloading of lines.
Remonde commended the RDC 7 for its projects on power generation, but he also said water should be one concern for the body to address.
“Central Visayas is one of the fastest growing regions in the country, and the quest for sources of power and water to move forward should be put in front of the agenda,” Remonde said.
Five other projects were endorsed by the RDC to the Neda-ICC.
Cebu’s north coastal road project was endorsed as a priority program for 2008.
The governor said that President Arroyo herself pointed out the need for this to relieve traffic congestion in the north.
Bohol got four approved projects, one of which is for the feasibility study of the Bohol-Cebu multi-access friendship bridge that will link Getafe, Bohol and Cordova in Cebu.
Bohol Gov. Erico Aumentado told the body that he personally talked with the director general of Korea’s Economic Development Cooperative Fund, which will sponsor the feasibility study.
At least four resolutions were also approved during the last RDC meeting for the year.
Only Governors Garcia and Aumentado were present but the others were represented. A number of mayors were also absent and unrepresented.
During the roll call of the members, Garcia suggested that next time, the absentees should be called rather than those present, so the media can take note of them. (JGA)
