Mindanao power outlook good till 2025

DAVAO CITY- From 2018, Mindanao will be experiencing excess power supply with new power plants being completed. This according to Mindanao Development Authority Director for Investment Promotions and Public Affairs Romeo Montenegro.

He said that new power plants being set up in Mindanao will answer the current need plus the growth in demand. After which in 2025 if no power plants will be set up the power supply and demand will be equal.

This year, Mindanao will get an additional 550 megawatts from coal-fired plants these include; the 150 MW unit of the Therma South Incorporated Davao coal plant the San Miguel power plant in Malita will have two units of 150 megawatts each coming online this 2016.

However Montenegro said that new power plants must be put up by 2020 to anticipate for the growth of power consumption in Mindanao. Power demand is growing at 4.7% to 5.3% in Mindanao.

A reliable source of power is one of the pre-requisites in attracting investments to Mindanao. From 2011- 2016 investments to Mindanao hit around P50-billion to P60-billion as compared to P5-billion to P6-billion from 2001 to 2010. (PIA/RG Alama)

Davao City Mayor now presumptive President

DAVAO CITY May 10, 2016 (PIA)- As of 4:00 p.m today (May 10) Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is leading the Presidential race with about 15.5 million votes leading or about 38.6% of the votes his closest rival is Manuel “Mar” Roxas III with about 9.3 million votes (23.4%). The votes tallied is about 92.77% of the total precincts in the country.

Presidential candidates Grace Poe, Jejomar Binay and Mar Roxas has conceded the presidential race to Duterte who will be the first President from Mindanao.

After casting his vote at around 3 p.m. Monday (May 9), Duterte in his presscon extended reconciliation to his fellow candidates saying that this is the time for healing.

During today's (May 10) afternoon press conference, Duterte campaign spokesperson said they will be preparing with the transition team.

Earlier Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Sonny Coloma said that the people have spoken and their verdict is accepted and respected.

"The path of good governance or Daang Matuwid is already established as all presidential candidates spoke out against corruption, and in favor of continuing and expanding present pro-poor programs, and pursuing more initiatives to sustain the strong economy and achieve inclusive growth." Sec. Coloma said in his statement.

During the press conference after his vote casting yesterday, Duterte warned officials to stop their corrupt practices in case he will be elected to office. The Davao City Mayor rode on the platform of fighting criminality and corruption.

Duterte political career started when he was appointed by then President Corazon Aquino in 1986 as the OIC Vice Mayor of Davao City, He ran and won as the city mayor in the 1988 polls. He served as City Mayor from 1988 to 1998, then became the Representative of the First District of Davao City from 1998 to 2001.

He became the Mayor for three consecutive terms (2001-2010) then became the Vice-Mayor from 2010-2013. He ran and won the Mayoralty position from 2013-2016 before accepting the call to run for the country's top leadership.

Duterte was credited from transforming Davao City then known as a bloody laboratory of urban guerrilla warfare waged by the New Peoples Army in the 1980s into one of the country's most peaceful and progressive cities.

He is also cited for strongly implementing ordinances such as the Firecracker Ban, The No-Smoking Ordinance, The Speed Limit Law and the 1 a.m. Liquor Ban. (PIA/RG Alama)

Davao region polls generally orderly, peaceful- PPCRV

DAVAO CITY May 10, 2016 (PIA)-  The elections in the Davao Region were generally peaceful and orderly this according to the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV).

According to Atty. Aileen Lizada, election liaison of the PPCRV, there were only minor problems brought to the center which they relayed to the Commission on Elections (Comelec). Among the problems include overheating voting counting machines (VCM), jammed machines or non-operating vcms but these were quickly replaced by by the Comelec.

However the Comelec ran out of standby machines thus some problems in the precincts were resolved either late Monday or Tuesday morning.

Other problems include missing names in the voters list, however they attributed these to voters who were not able to have their biometrics.

Apart from the City of Davao, polls were peaceful in the provinces of Davao del Sur, the new province of Davao Occidental, Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental. (PIA/RG Alama)

Davao Occidental residents elect new officials; election peaceful

MALITA, Davao Occidental, May 10 (PIA) – Voters in the five municipalities comprising Davao Occidental province, have elected on Monday their first set of government officials as a newly-created province.

The candidates for the key positions sought by incumbent Davao del Sur governor Claude Bautista, last termer 2nd District Congressman Franklin Bautista and neophyte politician Lorna Bautista-Bandigan are sure winners as they were lone aspirants respectively for the governorship, vice-governorship and congressional seats in the 2016 Elections.

The tough competition came from among the contenders for the seats in the Provincial Council for the first and second districts.

The Davao Occidental provincial Commission on Election though has yet to finish the canvassing of ballots as of this writing, and is expected to declare the winners on May 11.

Carved out from the second district of Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental became the 81st and newest province in the country in 2013 by virtue of Republic Act 10360.

The province covers the municipalities of Sta. Maria, Malita, Don Marcelino, Jose Abad Santos and Sarangani, with Malita being the capital town. The province has a total of 105 barangays.

For the 2016 election, the Comelec has registered a total of 158,519 voters, with 130 voting centers and 1,180 established precincts.

In an earlier interview in Malita, Congressman Bautista said that immediately after the new set of officials have assumed into office, all necessary preparations will be undertaken for the operational set up of the province.

Hiring of the provincial capitol personnel will be among the first steps to make, he said, adding that an Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of around P400 million has been set by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for the province for the next six months (July-December 2016).

Meanwhile, the conduct of the 2016 National and Local Elections has been generally peaceful in Davao del Sur and Davao Occidental since the start of the campaign period up to this writing when transmission of election returns from polling precincts and canvassing of ballots at the municipal and provincial Board of Canvassers are ongoing, expectedly.

Davao del Sur Provincial Police Director PSSUPT Dario Gunabe, who was also overseeing the Provincial Election Monitoring Action Center at the Davao del Sur Coliseum, said the election was orderly and peaceful though with delays due to some Vote Counting Machines which malfunctioned.

Gunabe said 67 polling precincts affected by the malfunction of VCMs in Davao del Sur were allowed an extension of voting hours beyond 5:00pm as the closing time of the casting of votes.

In Davao Occidental, 11 polling precincts also extended voting time due to the same cause of delay.

Davao Occidental Election supervisor Atty. Ma. Febes Barlaan said the minor glitch caused by some defective VCMs had been promptly addressed to, saying that her office has ample contingency to replace malfunctioning machines.

In fact, Barlaan said, her office was able to lend spare VCMs to Davao del Sur.

The transmittal of election returns was expected to begin by 11pm yesterday, but Barlaan said some polling centers especially from remote barangays mostly from Jose Abad Santos will have to immediately transmit the ERs manually to the Municipal Board of Canvassers.  

The Comelec official expected that canvassing of election returns will be completed today (May 10) at the Provincial Board of Canvassers, and was hopeful to be able to declare winners by May 11 (Wednesday).

She said the conduct of the election in the province was under control and was generally peaceful up to the islands of Sarangani town. (PIA-11/Carina L. Cayon)