ISO delegates testify to RP security

The 41 delegates and 10 staff members of the International Sugar Organization’s 12th mid-year council in Cebu Shangri-La this week confirm that advisories about the peace and order situation in the Philippines have limited impact on travelers.

Thursday, Sugar Administrator James C. Ledesma, also ISO chairman, led the entire group to Bohol. At the helm of the foreign delegations was Dr. Peter Baron, ISO director general.

The group included the spouse of the Russian Ambassador, Valentina, who also acted as interpreter during the proceedings.

All the delegates had never displayed any sense of tension as they went about their business of exchanging views about the sugar industry of their respective countries. Neither did they betray any sign of jitters as some of their spouses went into a sortie into the many scenic spots of Mactan and Cebu. They also went into a buying spree.

One thing noticeable, though. There were no visible signs of security precautions. The sight of uniformed men could have signaled a sense of insecurity. But, despite what the Japanese ambassador claimed were fears of Japanese about local peace and order situation, everything went on smoothly. Both inside the convention hall, around the hotel as well as in other hotels where the visitors were billeted.

"Fantastic," chortled the ladies as they went swimming.

In short, it’s all in the mind. At least, the ISO delegates will go home to their respective countries and help defuse impressions created by their respective government’s advisories that it is dangerous to come to the Philippines.

Power crisis

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday came out with an action plan to tackle the looming energy crisis in Panay. But earlier, we learned in Cebu that there could be a worse shortage of power that could hit Cebu and the Negros-Panay grid.

That will be sometime in June. To be exact, June 15 when the Cebu Private Power Corp. (CPPC) goes ahead with its plan to shut down. The Visayan Electric Company, which services Cebu and its environs, may have to contract another independent power producer for an emergency supply of power.

The latter solution is preferred by Department of Energy Assistant Secretary Lasse Holopainene. He summed up, in an interview with Cebu dailies "given a choice between brownouts and increase in the cost of electricity, the consumers would prefer the latter just to avoid darkness."

Such an eventuality will also affect the resource capacity of the Cebu-Panay-Negros power grid. CPPC is supplying 62 megawatts. The entire Province of Cebu needs 92 megawatts.

Cebu Sen. John Osmeña held a press conference wherein he threatened legislative probe into operations of VECO. He also charged that VECO owns 30 percent of the CPPC.

For once, Cebu Governor Pablo Garcia agreed with Osmeña. He suspects that CPPC merely wants to raise rates.

Osmeña wants the Cebu Electric Cooperative (CEBECO) to take over VECO.

Gov. Garcia, for his part, called on the energy department to look into the CPPC’s books to confirm its claims of huge losses that may force it to shut down by June 12. He also hinted at the possibility of a government takeover of CPPC’s operations if necessary.

But there was also a political sidebar to the issue. Osmeña called it a charade, a drama and blackmail by the Escano-Garcia family who purportedly owns 51 percent of VECO and the latter also owning 30 percent of CPPC’s stocks.

Meanwhile, in Bacolod, consumers are once more restive as the Central Negros Electric Cooperative petitioned the energy department to increase its rates, contending that it has been losing.

That disenchantment has grown increasingly strident, leading to charges in the composition of the Cenaco board.

In short, the next few weeks may lead to a widespread debate in the Visayas over the impending power shortage.

And, other than the technical side of the issue, there will also be the political brickbats.

Chedeng also hits Western Visayas

Although it was too far away, typhoon Chedeng also wreaked havoc in Western Visayas, although only one was reported dead and two missing in Sipalay (Negros Occidental) fishermen remained missing.

Low lying areas of Iloilo went under water. Flash flood hits seven towns of Iloilo. Worst hit was Iloilo City where 68 barangays were flooded and 22,630 families displaced. This prompted Iloilo City officials to declare the city under a state of calamity.