Aquino: Mindanao power crisis to be solved by 2015

President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday promised that the government will have the Mindanao power crisis solved in two years' time with the establishment of diesel-powered plants to augment the region's largely hydropowered facilities. “By 2015, we expect the problem to largely go away—para bang maganda na ang surplus natin ‘non. Doon mag-o-online ‘yung mga tinatayong power plants ngayon,” Aquino said in a chance interview with reporters following his inspection of a bus terminal in Pasay City. Aquino earlier said that the government is in the process of putting up the diesel-run power plants to supplement the region’s hydroelectric power, which has become unreliable. “‘Nung dinatnan natin, overreliance on hydro, bumababa ‘yung ating sources ng hydro doon because of ‘yung pagsira ng mga watershed, siltation of the river systems, etcetera,” Aquino said, adding that diesel power plants are an immediate solution. “‘Yung immediate solution will probably be a diesel-powered plant. Bakit diesel? ‘Yon ang pinakamabilis na maitatayo,” Aquino said last Thursday. However, Aquino reiterated that the setting up of any power plant still takes time, and thus appealed for patience.   “It takes between three to four years to set up the power plant. So earliest target date nga is about 300 megawatts na coal-fired power plant by 2015 at marami na after that, sunud-sunod, up to 2017,” Aquino said. Aquino also admitted that the government's current plans to resolve the power crisis in Mindanao necessitates additional charges to be shouldered by the consumer. “Ngayon, tataas ang kuryente—‘yan ang inevitable diyan e—ibi-blend mo ‘yung galing sa hydro na, kumbaga, ‘di ba wala ka nang fuel? Ulitin natin, tubig na ‘yon e. Pero pandagdag, diesel; ‘yung diesel may gastos,” Aquino said, adding that so far response on the ground has been largely positive.   “‘Yung kuryente tataas sa Mindanao because ang choice is: tataas ang kuryente or walang kuryente? E ‘yung karamihan naman ng nakausap namin ay understood na kailangang tumaas at tanggap nila ‘yung itataas kaysa raw sa wala,” Aquino said. — BM, GMA News