SURIGAO CITY, Philippines – The 33-member Association of Mindanao Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (Amreco) is set to tackle seriously the issues of “Mindanao’s Energy Future” during their maiden edition of an annual congress at a convention center in Cagayan de Oro City tomorrow.

The 2012 Amreco Congress will focus on the status of Agus and Pulangi hydro-electric power plants, renewable energy, rural electrification and development.

It was learned that the 33 electric cooperatives maintain their stand in opposing the impending privatization of the Agus and Pulangi hydroelectric plants.

“This is one of very vital issue we must resolve as we hear anew that the government is already set to privatize these hydro-electric power plants and we are continuously opposing this,” said AMRECO president Sergio C. Dagooc, in an exclusive interview yesterday.

He said the consuming public must be consulted first before the sale of hydroelectric plants since they would eventually suffer the consequences of costly electricity.

The Amreco president said all the 33 electric cooperatives in Mindanao believe that rates of electricity in Mindanao grid will increase higher than those in Luzon and Visayas once the operations of Agus and Pulangi hydroelectric plants are privatized.

The Agus hydroelectric plant complex is located in Lanao provinces while the Pulangi hydroelectric facility is in Maramag, Bukidnon province.

At present, hydro-based generated electricity in Mindanao comprise more than 50 percent of total generation in Mindanao, complemented by electricity from various diesel-operated power barges, coal-fired generated power and geothermal plants.

“When privatized, the cost of electricity has direct impact on investments, particularly those large companies that are considering Mindanao for expansion plans,” said Dagooc, who is also general manager of Siargao Electric Cooperative and Dinagat Islands Electric Cooperative in Surigao del Norte.

Until today, every kilowatt-hour of electricity that is being generated from hydroelectric plants by state-owned National Power Corporation costs only P1.

Additional costs come from transmission and distribution charges of National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and the electric cooperatives and utilities.

The 2012 AMRECO Congress will also focus on real property taxation and renewable energy, which are also very vital to all electric cooperatives and power consuming public in Mindanao.

At least 300 participants from the group’s 33 member cooperatives throughout the southern island have committed to join the “Congress of the Advocates for Renewable Energy, Rural Electrification and Development.”

AMRECO’s 33 member cooperatives account for 1,941,554 residential consumers in Mindanao.

Twenty-seven of the member coops are hooked up with the island’s transmission grid while another six operate in the off-grid islands surrounding the main Mindanao island.

“We are fully supporting President Aquino’s sitio/purok electrification program as the way to address Mindanao’s chronic power shortage, and we hope that the government will also listen to our recommendation in this congress,” said Caraga region’s electric cooperatives president Architect Horacio T. Santos, who is also the general manager of Agusan del Norte Electric Cooperative (ANECO), in a separate exclusive interview.

In this 2012 Amreco Congress, a group presentation on good governance, knowledge products, finance and investments, and the role of civic organizations in society for the duration of the congress will also take place.

Also scheduled presentations on good governance with “Sitio Energization” by National Electrification Administration (NEA) Administrator Edita S. Bueno, Transparency of Distribution by Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) by chairperson Zenaida G. Ducut and “Updates on the Privatization of the Agus and Pulangui Hydro Electric Plants” by Deputy House Speaker and JCPC member Rep. Lorenzo R. Tañada III, discussions on Knowledge Products and “Research and Study Grants for the Mindanao Power Sector” by the USAID-CENERGY; “Research on Mindanao Power Sector” by Prof. Rowaldo del Mundo of the UP-National Engineering Center; and “The Mindanao Power Institute” by Dr. Ricardo E. Rotoras, president of the Mindanao University of Science and Technology and PASSUC.

The member cooperatives of Amreco will also discuss Finance and Investment with “Aggregation – A Business Model for Mindanao Electric Cooperatives” by Edgardo R. Masongsong; and “Development of Renewable Energy Power Plants by Electric Cooperatives” by Engr.David A. Tauli. A public discussion on the “Role of Civil Society with Organizations” by Herbie Gomez will also take place.

In another development, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is set to implement new anti-poverty program called Kalahi-CIDSS in 14 towns in Northeastern Mindanao (Caraga region) this year, said region’s social welfare information official Leah T. Quintana.

The region’s social welfare information official identified these towns as Veruela, Esperanza, La Paz, San Luis, and Sibagat in Agusan del Sur; Carmen and Jabonga in Agusan del Norte; Tagbina, Marihatag, Hinatuan, Bayabas, and San Miguel in Surigao del Sur; and Pilar and Socorro in Surigao del Norte.

These municipalities will be receiving the government’s Kalahi-CIDSS anti-poverty program in the first two quarters of this year. The DSWD is expected to disburse a total P161,968,531.62 for these projects.

The total amount comes from the World Bank allocated by government to the region amounting to P137,280,487.93 and an additional P24,688,043.69 from the local cash contribution (LCC) of the implementing local government units (LGUs).

According to Region Xlll DSWD Assistant Regional Director (ARD) and Regional Project Manager, Mita G. Lim, the regional office will disburse this amount in several tranches to the community accounts of the barangays.

The cash grants will be disbursed to 136 sub-projects of the 15 partner LGUs throughout the region. Two LGUs are implementing KALAHI-CIDSS Additional Financing while 13 LGUs are currently implementing the LGU-led Makamasang Tugon.

In a related development, as part of its scale-up implementation this year, the DSWD-Caraga region welcomed new staff of community-driven development (CDD) projects in the region through an orientation at city’s inland resort and convention center last week.