NEDA BOARD-RDCOM CREATES SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON MINDANAO ENERGY ISSUES

MANILA—The Regional Development Committee (RDCom) of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board created a Special Committee for Mindanao Power, in light of the need to put in place a sustainable power supply for Mindanao. 

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and RDCom Chair Cayetano W. Paderanga, Jr. said that the special committee is tasked to formulate recommendations to address energy issues, particularly the limited generating capacity and dependency of Mindanao on hydropower. 

“The RDCom discussed Mindanao’s power supply and demand outlook to come up with concrete recommendations to avert a power shortage in the near future,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Cayetano W. Paderanga Jr., adding that the outlook prompted the creation of the special committee. 

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, who chairs the RDCom Area Committee for Mindanao, was selected to head the special committee and organize its membership. 

At a recent RDCom meeting, it was reported that Mindanao’s power demand is expected to grow at an annual rate of 4.56 percent from 2011 to 2030. Demand is projected to exceed existing generation capacity by 2014 unless additional power generation capacity is installed. 

It was also pointed out that Mindanao’s heavy dependence on hydro-power sources, which constitute half of the generation mix in the region, makes its power supply vulnerable to droughts and decreasing water levels in watersheds. 

“Mayor Duterte cited in the meeting the example of the decreasing water level in Lake Lanao, whose hydroelectric power plants already have low operational capacity, and suggested that the Departments of Energy (DOE) and Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) study the viability of co-management of the watershed,” said Paderanga, who is also Director-General of NEDA. 

The Cabinet official, however, said that according to DOE there are already committed and indicative projects that address concerns on the required additional supply, at least in the short term. 

As one of the seven interagency committees under the NEDA Board, the RDCom is chaired by Paderanga and composed of the Secretaries of the Departments of Budget and Management, and Interior and Local Government, the chairs of the RDCom Area Committees for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, and four regional development experts representing the private sector and academe. 

Also present during the RDCom meeting were NEDA Deputy DG Augusto B. Santos, NEDA Assistant DG Marcelina E. Bacani, Albay Gov. Joey Salceda and Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, both of whom chair the RDCom Area Committees for Luzon and Visayas, respectively. 

March 6, 2012

MR No. 2012-016