Gov. Isidro Zayco yesterday said he is asking President Gloria Macapagal for the use of a power barge from Mindanao to address the constant brownouts plaguing Negros Occidental.

Zayco said that could be a short term solution to the power shortage in the area, and pointed out that the long term solutions being pushed include hydro-electric plants.

In his letter to Arroyo, Zayco said Negros Occidental has been experiencing an acute power shortage that has been causing intermittent daily brownouts, which have affected not only residents but business communities who have been complaining of tremendous losses.

The brownouts have disrupted operations of government agencies, including the New Bacolod Silay Airport and equipment of the National Bureau of Investigation for processing clearances, especially of Overseas Filipino Workers, causing province-wide complaints, Zayco told the president.

In view of the problem, Zayco said he is appealing to the president to direct the concerned national agency to send a power barge to Negros Occidental to address the power problem in the area soon.

The barge could have a capacity of 30 megawatts to address the brownout problems, he said.

We were informed that there may be available power barges in Mindanao owned by the government or private companies that are more than willing to provide the needed additional power supply, Zayco said.

Zayco said he discussed the matter with Secretary Cerge Remonde of the Presidential Management Staff who was in Bacolod Thursday and yesterday, and sent his letter to the President through him.

Zayco also informed the media yesterday of a draft memorandum of agreement between the province of Negros Occidental and Alto Power Management Corp. that  is proposing to conduct a preliminary study to determine the technical and economic feasibility  of developing a hydro electric power plant along the upper Bago River.

Under the draft MOA, the provincial government grants Alto Power the right to conduct a study at its own cost of an exclusive basis for a period of 180 days. The study will also ultimately benefit the provincial government’s planned irrigation highway project, it said.

That is because the hydro-electric plant to be set up under a Build Operate and Own scheme will also have an irrigation component, Zayco said.

If the plant is built, it will also conduct reforestation, and be asked to provide royalties to the host city and province, and provide reasonable power rates, he added.

The MOA provides that ALTO will ensure the protection of the environment.*CPG

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