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Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Chamber pushes completion of transmission line project
By Jenny Molbog-Mendoza
WITH the looming power crisis in Mindanao, the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) urged the National Transmission Commission (NTC) to update industry players, including the business and consumer sectors, on the status of the construction of 230 kv Pulangui-Bunawan transmission line.
In a letter, dated February 3 and addressed to NTC president and chief executive officer Alan Ortiz, DCCCII president Lawyer Bienvenido Cariaga reminded NTC of its promise to finish construction works by next year.
"You will recall that a year ago or to be exact on February 18, 2004, when you spoke before a group of Davao City businessmen at the Apo View Hotel here in Davao City, you committed that this line will be completed in 2006 when you were asked a question to this effect by Mr. Sofronio Jucutan, the 2004 persident of DCCCII," Cariaga told Ortiz in the letter.
Cariaga warned if the project will not be completed within the timetable committed by NTC, the Southern Mindanao region will really face a "disastrous" power crisis.
He said the crisis will be brought about by the higher power demand in Mindanao as compared to the dependable capacity.
"While we account for about 45 percent of Mindanao's total peak power demand (569 megawatts out of 1,271 megawatts), only 22 percent of the Mindanao Grid's dependable capacity (304 megawatts out of 1,402 megawatts) is located in our area," Cariaga said in the letter.
With the increasing demand of power in Southern Mindanao at a conservative rate of seven percent per year, DCCCII urged the NTC to fast track the contruction of the project.
Without it, Cariaga cited the output of the 200 megawatts coal-fired plant presently being built in Northern Mindanao will never be transmitted to Southern Mindanao.
DCCCII is expecting that a response from NTC will be received the soonest possible time.
Copies of the letter were also sent to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Vince Perez, DOE Incoming Secretary Raphael Lotilla, DOE Undersecretary Cyril del Callar, Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) Chair Rodolfo Albano, National Power Corporation (NPC) President Rogelio Murga, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Secretary for Mindanao Affairs Jesus Dureza, Regional Development Council 11 Chair Jesus Ayala, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Donald Dee, Mindanao Business Council Chair Antonio Santos, and other local officials in Davao Region.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here.
(February 9, 2005 issue)
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