Gwen won't scrap deal buying Balili property

CEBU, Philippines -  Despite the result of the ground survey conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources that found 82 percent of the controversial Balili property submerged in water, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia stood firm that she will not rescind the P98.9 million transaction.

Garcia is determined to fulfill her task in deciding and defining the vision of the province that includes developing the site into an international port and dumpsite for coal ash.

"I am not rescinding it. I will not waver, I will not be indecisive and I will not say one thing today and say another tomorrow," said Garcia yesterday.

While Garcia was out of the country for a 10-day official visit to Israel and South Korea, Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez and Board Member Victor Maambong said that, if they have their way, they would rather rescind the purchase and recover the full payment made by Capitol.

The DENR found out that 20.2 hectares of the 24.7 bought by Capitol from the Balili estate is either submerged in seawater, fishpond or planted with mangroves.

The DENR ground survey using the Global Positing System (GPS) showed the only 4.5 hectares of the property is dry land. The Capitol has entered a memorandum of agreement with the Korean Power Corporation to use the Balili property as dump site of coal ash from their power plant.

The MOA for the dumping of the coal ash is now subject of a complaint from some environmentalists including the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement citing health concerns.

The environmentalists objected to the agreement that allows Kepco to dump the coal combustion waste or coal ash in the property.

Garcia insisted that the Capitol will earn money from the coal ash that Kepco will dump in the Balili property.

In her visit to Donghae City in Korea, Garcia and her party visited the plant site to observe how the ash is reused for cement additive and for reclamation.

"I wonder if they have gone to their own coal ash," Garcia said, referring to the Korean environmentalists.

Kepco assured the Cebuanos that a Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) technology is proven and tested to the environment and people's health.

Unlike in Korea that ash is sold, Kepco will pay $1 million to the Cebu provincial government for the permit to dump and has the exclusive rights for 25 years over the ash as an ingredient to be sold to cement factories.

Kepco president and CEO Kim Ssang-su has expressed gratitude to Garcia for the support given since the beginning of the construction of the 200-megawatt coal-fired plant in Naga, which is scheduled to be operational by the first quarter of 2011.

Garcia said the agreement of Kepco and the Province of Cebu is vital since Kepco aimed to stabilize the power supply in the Visayas. 

 "They (Kepco) have committed. Dako kaayo ang atong panginahanglan og power plant kay ang uban nag-shut down sa ilang mga planta," Garcia said. — Fred P. Languido and Garry B. Lao/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)