RDC okays P8-B irrigation project

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

THE Regional Development Council (RDC) in Western Visayas gave its nod to a proposed P8-billion irrigation rehabilitation project which will cover five provinces in the region.

Antique Gov. Salvacion Z. Perez, RDC regional chair, said the council passed a resolution endorsing the Irrigation System Operation Efficiency Improvement Project (ISOEIP) of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).

The endorsement was passed during the RDC-Western Visayas’ last quarter meeting in Roxas City, Capiz last week.

“It (ISOEIP) needs approval of the RDC. If realized, it’s going to be a big help to our farmers here in Panay by improving existing communal irrigation facilities,” Perez said.

ISOEIP, which will be implemented in Western Visayas and Davao del Norte, has a total funding of P8.06 billion. The Asian Development Bank, using the Japan Special Fund, will provide P5.15 billion while the Philippine government’s counterpart funding is P2.866 billion.

In Western Visayas, ISOEIP has two core sub-projects, the San Jose Community Irrigation System (CIS) in Aklan and the Sibalom-San Jose River Irrigation System (RIS) in Antique.

The nine none-core sub-projects covers the Aklan RIS, and Panacuyan RIS in Aklan; Mambusao RIS, Balucuan CIS and Nagba CIS in Capiz; Barotac Viejo RIS in Iloilo; and Cabano CIS in Guimaras.

The project aims to improve agricultural productivity and production of selected irrigation systems through rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructures, improvement of agricultural support services, project coordination support and institutional strengthening and agencies involved.

The project components are irrigation facilities improvement/rehabilitation; watershed development; drainage system improvement and roads and post-harvest facilities

The project is expected to be implemented next year until 2016.

The Philippine government has included the ISOEIP in the Comprehensive Integrated Infra-structure Program (CIIP) for 2008-2010. (With reports from PNA)

RDC wants power barge to augment supply in Panay

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

 

THE Regional Development Council (RDC) in Western Visayas will take its chances in requesting the transfer of the 32-megawatt Power Barge 104 from Davao to Panay.

 

The RDC passed last week in Bacolod City a resolution urging President Gloria Arroyo to order the transfer of PB 104 to Panay to ease the acute power shortage in the island.

 

Presidential Assistant for Western Visayas Raul Banias confirmed the passage of the RDC resolution which will be endorsed to the Department of Energy.

 

But Banias had earlier said Davao will oppose the transfer of PB 104 to other areas “because they need it for their reserves.”

 

Data from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines showed that Panay has a peak demand of 210MW but its supply is only 128MW or a shortage of 82MW.

 

The island draws power from the Cebu-Negros-Panay grid, Panay Power Corp. (PPC), 15MW modular generator sets in Capiz and two power barges stationed in the city and province of Iloilo.

 

Power supply in Panay was imperiled by the turnover of the Panay Diesel Power Plant (PDPP) in Iloilo to its new owner SPC Island Power Corp.

 

Power utilities raised fears of losing some 50MW if SPC does not operate the power plant because of needed rehabilitation works and lack of supply agreement contracts with electric cooperatives.

 

The problem was remedied when the Department of Energy agreed to subsidize the operation of PDPP for five months until SPC has signed supply contracts with Panay utilities.

 

Singapore-based SPC bought PDPP and the Bohol Diesel Power Plant for US$5.7 million last year. The plants were turned over to the company March 25.

 

Officials of distribution utilities and electric cooperatives said new power plants are needed to stabilize the energy situation of the island.

 

Engr. Randy Pastolero, special assistant to Panay Electric Co. (Peco) president and CEO Miguel Cacho, said the 164MW coal-fired power plant proposed by Global Business Power Corp. (GBPC) in LaPaz district will help stabilize power supply in Iloilo City and the rest of the province.

 

Peco is the sole power distributor in Iloilo City which has a peak demand of 75MW daily.

 

GBPC operates PPC which supplies 61MW to Iloilo City. The rest of the city’s energy requirement comes from the National Power Corp.