DAVAO
CITY- Cooperatives are eyeing to participate in the privatization of the
Agus-Pulangi Hydro Power Plant.
One
of the moves is the formation of 1 Mindanao Energy Cooperative (1 MIECOOP) the
group envisioned to make a run for the management and operation of the Agus
Pulangi plant.
Datu
Pendatun Misimban CDA (Cooperative Development Authority) Administrator for
Mindanao says it’s about time the people will have the say on running and
managing the power plant.
This
is a contribution of the coop sector in cooperation with the government to
solve the power crisis. Misimban said.
He
added that based on regional power summits attended by cooperative leaders, the
attendees were very supportive of the move.
The
idea broached to them by the National Association of Electric Consumers for
Reform (NASECORE) is steadily gaining ground among the many cooperatives in
Mindanao.
Misimban
said it about time that Mindanao will benefit from the power plant, not just a
few businessmen from Luzon or Visayas. And that the proposed power coop will
look not just look at the profits to be earned but also treat the running of
the plant as a form of public service.
Currently
there are 3-million Mindanaoans who are cooperative members and have the
capability to make a bid for the power plant.
Based
on benchmarks a new hydro-power plant costs around $1-million per megawatt,
Agus-Pulangi has a capacity of 982 megawatts, the plant could be estimated to
cost $1-billion.
The
plant is under the PSALM (Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management
Corporation) a government owned and controlled corporation. There are plans
under the EPIRA (Electric Power Industry Reform Act) to sell the power plant.
The
make this into a reality, the coops would want to ask for amendments to the
EPIRA which would exempt the Agus-Pulangi from the sale which would pave the
way for the cooperative to make a bid for the plant.
Congressman
Reynaldo Umali, chairman House Committee on Energy says the Congress will be
supporting the move of the cooperatives since it involves the people. “We are
just your representatives, utusan nyo lang po kami. Sabi po ni PNOY kayo ang
boss naming.” (just order us, as what President PNOY said you are our boss).
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