MINDANAO business leaders and some lawmakers are eyeing to file anew the bill creating the Mindanao Power Corporation (Minpocor) when the 17th congress will open in June.
Romeo Montenegro, Mindanao Development Authority (Minda) director for investment promotions and public affairs, told reporters that as the election period already started the proposed bill was shelved.
Thus, this will have to be refilled when the new House convenes.
House Bill 2621, or the proposed “Charter of the Mindanao Power Corporation,” authored by Zamboanga City Representative Celso L. Lobregat seeks to place under government control the Agus-Pulangi complexes through the establishment of Minpocor, a stand-alone government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC).
Montenegro said that they already conducted talks to some of lawmakers who expressed support to the proposed bill. Some of these senators are Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III and Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr.
The author of the bill, Lobregat said that “the bill seeks the non-privatization of the Agus-Pulangui hydropower complexes, located in Lanao del Sur and Bukidnon provinces, which are considered the crown jewels of the Mindanao power industry,” as part of efforts to find a viable way to operate and maintain these assets that provide most of the electricity requirements of Mindanao at lower rates.”
One of latest updates of the bill is the preparation of the committee reports from the joint committees on energy, government enterprise and Mindanao affairs.
The Minpocor shall be empowered to acquire the Agus-Pulangui hydropower complexes from National Power Corp.-Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. and raise sufficient funds for operating, maintaining, and improving such assets efficiently.
The Agus-Pulangi complex is one of the two power complexes that Minpocor will control, the other being the Pulangi complex in Bukidnon. These two will provide most of the island's power supply.
More than 50 percent of Mindanao power is sourced from hydropower. However, in a report, a group from Lanao del Sur has signified its opposition to the proposal and emphasized that the privatization of the Agus hydroelectric power complex, located within the province should be pushed and demanded that 30 percent of the Agus complex’s income be given for people living near the Lake Lanao, which is being tapped to run the complex.
Mindanao businessmen also urged the National Government to exclude Lake Lanao from the areas under the exclusivity authority of the Bangsamoro government as the Agus Power plant complex sourced its water supply from the lake.
"The Lake Lanao plays an essential role to the energy security of the whole island thus it should not be exclusive to only one area as it will directly affect the efficiency of the Agus Power plant," Montenegro said citing a resolution made by the business sectors during last year’s Mindanao Business Conference.