Catanduanes to Fully Bank on Hydro Power

The electricity requirements of Catanduanes will soon be fully met after officials recently inaugurated two new hydropower projects in the underdeveloped island province.

Local officials said that the two plants—owned and operated by Sunwest Water and Electric Company Inc., or Suweco—were built at a total cost of P540 million, collectively making them the biggest private sector investments in Catanduanes so far.

“Once fully operational, the three power plants in Catanduanes can meet 100 percent of the island’s 6.5-megawatt power demand,” said Elizaldy Co, chairman of the Sunwest Group of Companies, which owns the power firm. “When this happens, Catanduanes will be the first province in the Philippines to fully utilize ‘green’ energy.”

The two plants, with a combined capacity of 3.6 megawatts, went on line last week. Together, they supply more than half of the entire province’s power requirements.

Further expansion of another 3 MW will commence once transmission lines are fully rehabilitated.

President Aquino and Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras led the ceremonial opening of the two plants in the municipalities of San Miguel and Caramoran towns.

With the additional power capacity, it is estimated that the government will save about P250 million annually, or a total of P7.5 billion, during Suweco’s 30-year contract.

Apart from Suweco’s Catanduanes hydro investment project, the company aims to inaugurate another hydro plant in Antique by next year. Other projects in Aklan, Tuguegarao and other areas in Luzon and Visayas, with a total potential generation of 250 MW, are also being planned.

Co said that apart from helping the government save on missionary electrification expenses, Suweco’s hydropower facilities would help protect the environment through reduced greenhouse gas emissions from conventional oil-based energy sources.

According to officials, local government units in Catanduanes will also have shared revenues from the income being generated by the plants, on top of the 700 jobs that were generated during the plants’ construction phase.

By: Daxim L. Lucas
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Inauguration of the PAGASA Radar Station and the Solong and Hitoma 1 Mini-Hydropower Plants

President Benigno S. Aquino III led the inauguration and unveiling of market of the newly constructed PAGASA weather radar station in Barangay Buenavista, Municipality of Bato, Catanduanes and the ceremonial switch-on of Solong and Hitoma 1 Mini-Hydropower plants owned and operate by Sunwest Water and Electric Co. Inc. (SUWECO).

The President was accompanied by Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras and DOST Secretary Mario Montejo. The state-of-the-art Doppler radar was granted through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), for the improvement of Meteorological Radar Systems in the country. The completion of the project will result in the improved accuracy of forecast and the timeliness of warnings in order to minimize human casualties and damages to properties due to the occurrences of weather disturbances and the associated floods and landslides.

While the ceremonial switch-on of the Solong and Hitoma 1 mini-hydropower plants will produce 2.1 megawatts and 1.5 megawatts using different turbine power. The project overview was led by Mr. Elizaldy Co, Chairman of the board SUWECO. The company was primarily engage in the development of clean energy resources such as hydropower and solar and the provision of bulk water facilities to rural communities.

Brgy. Buenavista, Bato, Catanduanes
May 2, 2012
Source: RTVM

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DA Allots P52 M for Agri, Fishery Projects in Catanduanes

The Department of Agriculture has allotted P52 million for agriculture and fishery infrastructure and livelihood projects, and farm equipment to further increase the productivity and incomes of farmers and fisherforlk in the island-province of Catanduanes.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said that, of the total amount, P12 million was allotted for farm and fishery projects, equipment and inputs, which he handed over to beneficiaries during his visit to island province from April 9 to 10.

The bulk of the fund, amounting to P40 million, is allotted for irrigation, a farm-to-market road (FMR), a tramline, a multi-species fish hatchery, and aquasilviculture projects.

Of the amount, P30 million will be used to complete a communal irrigation system in Baniaga, Bato, that will irrigate 91 hectares and benefit 185 farmer families. Secretary Alcala instructed National Irrigation Administrator Antonio Nangel to fast track the project, where an initial P15 million will be spent this year, and the balance next year.

The DA will also spend P3 million to extend an existing tramline system in Barangay Sipi, Bato, and replace its carrier with a bigger one to transport not only farm products but also persons. The tramline system, similar to a zipline with a carriage, is used to transport abaca hemp and fiber, and other farm products. The tramline was constructed by the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), under the DA. The DA will also construct an access road as part of the tramline project.

Furthermore, the DA, through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), will establish a multi-species community hatchery and aquasilviculture project in Barangay Batalay, in Bato, where Secretary Alcala planted mangrove propagules. He urged Bato Mayor Eulogio Rodriguez to develop the area as an agrotourism site, with the DA providing appropriate technical assistance and training.

Secretary Alcala also encouraged Catanduanes Governor Joseph C. Cua to consider putting up a grain-processing center. The DA will provide P15 million for the project, while the provincial government has to counterpart a one-hectare lot for the facility. When completed, it will have a multi-pass rice mill, a dryer, and a service truck.

During a farmers’ forum, Secretary Alcala raffled off various farm equipment and inputs to lucky farmer-attendees. The prizes included three hand tractors with trailers, three palay threshers, two motorized banca, two motor engines, five draft carabaos with plow and harrow, 100 bags of certified rice seeds, nine gill nets, three fish cage nets, and 10 multiple fishing handlines. As a token of appreciation, Secretary Alcala also gifted all the 11 Catanduanes mayors with one shallow tube well each.

The DA chief also visited Masbate to lead the opening ceremonies of the Rodeo Masbateño festival. He also inspected a small water impounding project (SWIP) in Potot, Milagros, which was recently repaired by the DA-NIA, at a cost of P6 million. While in Masbate, he also asked the provincial government through Governor Rizalina Seachon-Lañete to consider putting up a grains processing center, with the LGU providing a one-hectare lot as counterpart.

During his sorties in Catanduanes, Secretary Alcala was joined by Governor Cua, Representative Cesar Sarmiento, Vice Governor Jose Teves, Jr., Ako Bicol Partylist Representatives Alfredo A. Garbin Jr. and Christopher S. Co, NIA Administrator Nangel, Director Silvino Tejada of the DA-Bureau of Soils and Water Management, PhilMech Director Ricardo Cachuela, and Administrator Cecilia Gloria Soriano of the DA-Fiber Industry Development Authority.

Also present were DA Bicol regional officials led by Director Dayao, DA regional technical directors Ellen de los Santos and Edgar Madrid, BFAR director Dennis del Socorro, NIA Director William Ragodon, FIDA Director Edith Lomerio, Director Eduardo Allorde of the Philippine Coconut Authority, Director Cora Realubit of the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation, and Director Efren Sabularse of the Agricultural Training Institute.

Source: da.gov.ph

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Marked Growth in Domestic Tourism

MANILA, Philippines — There has been a marked improvement in domestic tourism, mainly due to the efforts of municipalities in promoting their tourist destinations.

League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) National President and Bacoor Mayor Strike Revilla cited statistics from the Department of Tourism (DoT) showing a 12.28 percent increase in domestic tourism, to 16.56 million in 2010.

“Local leaders in the municipalities are one with the vision of the LMP in increased tourism,” he said, as he lauded municipalities for intensively promoting the best spots for tourists, both local and foreign.

Revilla said “increased tourism means increased spending. Thus increased income in the municipality and of course increasing the economy of the municipality. It goes hand in hand.”

Aside from the efforts made by the municipalities, Strike also lauded airline companies who through their promo fares are making it possible for every Filipino to fly and visit tourism spots in the country.

Revilla said that while the country's national flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) recorded a 12.16 percent drop in domestic flight passengers, from 6.05 million in 2009 to 5.31 million last year, the passenger volume of its budget carrier, Air Philippines, grew more than fourfold, to 1.85 million from 408,863.

Zest Airways posted a 40.98 percent growth in domestic flight passengers from 872,223 to 1.23 million.

Cebu Pacific Air had a 10.21 percent increase, from 7.23 million to 7.97 million passengers.

Domestic flight passengers of South East Asian Airlines inched up 4.91 percent, from 184,145 to 193,183.

“Travel and tourism in the Philippines really performed better in 2010 as the global economic recovery had a positive effect over the economies of many countries," Revilla said. "This led to higher growth in in-bound arrivals and domestic tourism as well as healthy development in outbound tourism, leading to higher value sales growth for the majority of travel and tourism categories, including transportation, travel accommodation, travel retail, car rental, health and wellness tourism and tourist attractions."

“The high level of promotional activity undertaken by the various municipalities, with the help of the Department of Tourism (DoT) and the private sector both inside and outside the Philippines, also helped to boost travel and tourism in the country," he added.

By CZARINA NICOLE O. ONG
December 4, 2011, 5:51pm
Source: www.mb.com.ph

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Education As the Great Equalizer

Benjie Pantino, Benjames Go and Jerwin Rendon are just as ordinary as the students yousee hurrying to school. Their families are just as struggling to keep their collective heads above the tide of increasing cost of basic commodities and services.

No wonder then that with their mothers left at home to tend to younger siblings and manage the house, their fathers do all they can to provide food on the table three times a day, pay for electricity and other basic needs, and still have some extra to pay for the children’s schooling.

Some people may describe the Pantino, Go and Rendon families as enjoying a quality of life better than them. Surely, Rafael Pantino has a small tractor that he uses to plow the fields for a fee, a small furniture shop to keep him busy and a tricycle that can use in case there are no fields to plow or furniture to make. Jerry Go earns P370 a day as foreman while Redencio has a tricycle paid for by his eldest son.

But for a family that has only one earning individual, life can be as hard as those who live in the squalor of Manila squatter communities.

The difference with the topnotchers’ case is that they have parents who never stop working and children who shared their dreams of a better life. “Dala na inining pagtios,” Benjie said after his life-changing accomplishment. The very same words could well be uttered by Benjames and Jerwin.

These dutiful sons saw, on a daily basis, how their fathers worked hard and how their mothers managed on their limited budgets, and they probably vowed, “Never again!”

Now that their path to success has been laid down before them, all these achievers have to do is to bring to their first jobs the same tenacity, the same skill and the same sterling qualities of character that earned them the top threes lots in the civil engineering licensure examination.

Whoever said that poverty keeps him poor does not strive enough to raise himself out of the gutter. Whoever said that having a diploma has not given him a job probably did not learn enough in school to know that money comes to those who are willing to earn it.

Whoever says that the Catanduanes State Colleges’ 1-2-3 knockout punch is a stroke of good luck has not heard of the Pantino, Go and Rendon families, who believe in education as the great equalizer.

Source: Catanduanes Tribune - 30 November 2011

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ICC Welcomes the Philippines As a New State Party

On 8 November 2011, the International Criminal Court (ICC) welcomed the Philippines as a new State Party to the Rome Statute of the ICC in a ceremony held at the seat of the Court in The Hague. The Philippines is the 117th State Party to the Rome Statute and the 2nd country within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to ratify the international treaty. The Rome Statute took effect for the Philippines on 1 November 2011.


In a symbolic act, the President of the Court, Judge Sang-Hyun Song, presented the Ambassador of the Philippines, H.E. Ms Lourdes G. Morales, with a special edition of the Rome Statute of the ICC.

This video was produced in 2011 by the Public Information and Documentation Section of the ICC, for non-profit and educational purposes. The ICC encourages its use, reproduction and distribution for the same purposes. Sale or commercial use is strictly prohibited.

More information: www.icc-cpi.int

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