old days of cheap power are no longer sustainable

Mindanaoans must pay more for electricity

DAVAO CITY ,Philippines  – 

Here are the excerpts of what the PRESIDENT said during the  Mindanao Power Summite Mindanao held yesterday at the Waterfront Insular Hotel:

-   "Paying more for power,  “will make the lives of everyone in Mindanao better not just by allowing them to switch on light bulbs - but also because having a more consistent energy source will give Mindanao a more convincing business proposition to potential investors - not just in the energy sector.”

 -   "Everything has its price...“Ambag-ambag tayo dito" You have to pay a real price for a real public service. 

-   Mindanao has only two choices: pay a little more for energy or live with the rotating brownouts. " Paying a little more for energy will enable us to ensure a stable supply of power for the future of the region.”

The MIndanao power summit was attended by local officials and stakeholders in Mindanao. the power summit was conducted to inform the Min

-   It was the first one attended by a President who promised to consider the inputs of the Mindanaoans and would tell them the truth about the situation,

-   You have to pay more for energy because it is the reality of economics and not the “rhetoric of politics.”

-   “I understand some cooperatives are paying an additional 50 to 60 centavos per kilowatt-hour-this is in contrast to certain quarters who prefer to sow intrigue rather than face the facts; and who chose to alarm the public by extravagant claims of Mindanaoans having to pay up to P14 pesos more per kilowatt-hour. This is simply not true. But still, prices will increase; and you need to play your part,” 

-   "At least P6 billion has been allocated for the long-delayed large-scale rehabilitation of the Agus-Pulangi stations, which has been neglected for the past 59 years."

-  “This isn’t just about energy, this is about attracting investments and creating jobs. And this is about securing the future of this region,” Aquino said.

-   “But we have to make sure that these price increases are fair. That is why we are studying the formation of a Mindanao Power Monitoring Committee to be chaired by the Mindanao Development Authority and representatives from the Department of Energy, National Power Corporation, National Grid Corporation of the Philippines as well as those from the civil society, electric cooperatives and the business sector,” 

-   “The availability and timeliness of the supply of water cannot be considered a constant,”  Mindanao’s heavy reliance on hydropower for more than half of its baseload is not sustainable anymore, considering the many variables that affect water supply, from rainfall to natural calamities and even seasonal variations like El Niño. 

“What we need to realize is that the old days of cheap power are no longer sustainable, ”