Visayas power problems over---PGMA
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TOLEDO CITY -- President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, after inaugurating here today a new 82-megawatt coal-fired
power plant, said the Visayas power problem is over and the region will no longer “import power from Luzon.”
The Visayas power grid, which has been suffering from power shortages of about 45 megawatts (MW), may
even be an exporter of power soon to Luzon, the President suggested.
“With the inauguration today of the first unit of 82 megawatt (MW) coal power plant, the whole of the Visayas will
now meet its power needs, a little more than it needs,'' the President said in her message at the ceremonial
switch-on of Cebu Energy Development Corp.’s (CEDC) coal-fired power plant..
The President said that the additional power ''signals the end to rotating brownouts” in the Visayas and marks
the end of importing power from Luzon, which is ''also burdened with its huge power requirement.''
She said that with the commissioning of two other CEDC units by the end of May and December this year and
the synchronization of the Panay Energy Corp's. 164 MW power plant in La Paz, Iloilo, with the 200 MW coal-fired
plant of Korea Power Corp. –Salcon Power Corp. (Kepco-SPC) in Naga City in Cebu, the region will be an
exporter of power to Luzon.
Two years ago, CEDC invested $450 million or P3 billion on a three unit coal power plant here that can generate
a total of 246 MW.
The project is a joint venture of Global Business Power Corp., the power arm of the Metrobank Group, Formosa
Heavy Industries Corp, Aboitiz Power Corp., and Vivant Power Corp.
At the same time, the President congratulated CEDC for constructing an environment-friendly clean coal power
plant that uses state-of-the-art circulating fluidized bed technology for clean coal technology, ensuring that
emission levels are well within the standards set by the Clean Air Act.
The President hailed CEDC for embarking on a reforestation program with the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR) and the City of Toledo. She witnessed today the signing of a memorandum of
agreement on tree planting, which allocates 100 hectares for home-managed reforestation program.
''This will make this power plant more carbon neutral,'' the President noted.
Meanwhile, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Charito Planas today urged Filipinos to do their share in
conserving water and electricity. “As a nation, we must come together and shout out our suggestions on how to
help the government resolve our problems,” she said.
In a press briefing, Planas said “everyone, not just the politicians, must stop blaming the government for these
problems. No one created these problems and no one wants to have these problems around.”
Planas advised big businesses, which can afford to buy generator sets (gensets), “to reduce their usage from
the main grid so that whatever will be left can be enjoyed by the greater majority of people.”
She said hotels and restaurants must serve water only upon request so that nothing will go to waste. For
households, people must learn to reuse water for cleaning their homes, yards, and bathrooms.
Planas said Palace lawyers are now looking at ways allowed under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of
2001 to resolve the power crisis in Mindanao and elsewhere in the country.
Planas lauded the proposals of Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (2nd district) to grant the President
emergency power in the light of the power crisis and Agusan del Sur Rep. Rodolfo Plaza to call barangay
elections so that the P2.24 billion earmarked for it may be allocated to programs designed to address the El
Nino.
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PGMA receives boxer Gorres, awards Cebu teachers
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CEBU CITY--- Filipino bantamweight boxer Z “The Dream” Gorres, his wife Dasch and three children called on
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo at the Mactan InternationaL Airport here today shortly before she took off for
Manila after a day long visit to Cebu province.
The President was joined by Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and Press Secretary Crispulo Icban Jr. in welcoming
the Gorres family in one of the airport lounges. Gorres also received financial assistance from the President.
Gorres, one of the country’s top bantamweights, collapsed and was hospitalized last November after scoring a
10-round decision over Colombian Luis Melendez in Las Vegas.
The 27-year-old Gorres suffered a subdural hematoma and underwent emergency brain surgery. He is now
undergoing rehabilitation at the Perpetual Succor Hospital here after a throat surgery last week.
Earlier today the President led the awarding of certificates of completion to 97 teachers from Bohol, Negros
Oriental, and Cebu in ceremonies who attended the Global Training Program at the Cebu International
Convention Center.
They comprise the first batch of teacher-trainees under Globe Telecom, Inc.’s Global Filipino Teachers Program
(GFT) in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Coalition for Better Education (CBE), a
Cebu-based non-profit organization composed of various education stakeholders from the academe, students,
parents, non-government and business organizations.
The Global Training Program is a 54- hour, six- day training program that uses information and communication
technology (ICT) tools to create ICT- enabled learning in school.
In Toledo City, the President vowed to continue her hands-on governance and promote the administration’s key
initiatives until the end of her term.
Speaking in Cebuano, she told students of the Toledo National Vocational High School that her government will
continue to focus on three initiatives, namely; give more power and growth in each region; continue to work on
creating sustainable and equitable development on the economy, education and environment, and continue to
focus on the youth.
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