Visayas Chambers seek Power Crisis Solution, Food Security

By: Malou M. Mozo
Manila Bulletin
August 17, 2008, Sunday

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu - Business Chambers in the Visayas called on government through the Department of Energy (DoE) to seek timely solutions to solve the looming power crisis int he region. During the 17th Visayas Area Business Conference last Friday, the a6 active chambers in Western Visayas, Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas proposed that President Gloria Arroyo grant the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) a permit to start its commercial operations here.

WESM, run by the Philippine Electricity Market Corp. that works like a stock market for buyers and sellers to trade electricity as a commodity, has been scheduled for commercial operations in the in the Visayas early this year but was deferred by the energy Secretary Angelo Reyes, citing "inadequate power resources, both in transmission and in the generation aspects".

"There are many economic activities happening in the Visayas and we believe that government must lay down the necessary infrastructure projects and provide a venue for competitive power rates, to make us also competitive to investors" , said Jose T. Ng, PCCI Vice President for Visayas. Part of the joint resolution also urged the DoE to require all electric cooperatives to provide for free transformers and meters to their clients and reimburse those who were made to pay for them.

The group also called on president Arroyo to order the DoE to fast track the implementation of the National biofuels Program, where the blending of bio-ethanol with gasoline will be observed.

Zeroing in on the issue of food security, the chambers' joint resolutions also advocated for government to direct direct its resources and efforts in resolving the existing rice problem and to support the campaign for massive public and private investments in food production.

For infrastructure projects covering the regi0n, the Visayas chambers likewise sought for the rehabilitation and the expansion of the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban City and the installation and maintenance of lighting and navigational aids along San Juanico Strait.

The business group also tackled on the computerization of election returns, a review of the Juvenile Delinquency Act and Bouncing Check Law and the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. These resolutions were drafted and consolidated during the Chamber Management Meeting last Thursday to be approved and passed on to the PCCI for review and approval before it will be submitted to the National Government for consideration in policy making.