Garcia to Korean officials: Cebu needs more power

CEBU, Philippines – Cebu governor Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday met with South Korean Ambassador Hye Min Lee where they discussed things that could further strengthen the relationship between the two governments.

Garcia expressed the need to sustain the phenomenal growth Cebu is experiencing now and one of the ways to do so is to have more power supply that could meet the power demands of investors coming in.

While there is already the Korean Electric Power Plant, now called the Kepco-Salcon Power Company, in Naga, Cebu, South Korean Ambassador Hye Min Lee said the Korean investment to the Philippines gradually increases and they are expecting more Korean investors to come to the Philippines.

Garcia thanked Lee for the construction of the coal-fired power plant but said that to sustain the phenomenal growth that Cebu is now experiencing, there is a need to actively start campaigning for additional embedded power capacity right here in Cebu.

She stressed that it can be renewable energy as long as it is in affordable manner and there is investor.

"Cebu welcomes additional investment in power," Garcia said.

Lee told reporters that Korean government would like to enhance cooperation with Province of Cebu and agreed to further strengthen their relationship.

During the meeting, Lee was impressed of the growing Korean tourist arrivals and the Korean community in Cebu, at 15,000 now.

Lee is also very appreciative of the strong support that Cebu government has extended to Korean communities as well as to Kepco.

The Korean Ambassador is going to push for more projects that will strengthen the economic cooperation that can lead to the mutual benefit of both the government of South Korea and Cebu.

Korean government also wished to initiate more official exchanges for trainings coming from Cebu in South Korea.

Lee is set to come back soon to discuss more specific level of this project.

Meanwhile, Garcia yesterday signed an Executive Order No. 17 creating the "Power Task Force" of the Province of Cebu which was agreed in a meeting of power and energy stakeholders a week ago.

During the meeting, it was found out that the power and energy demands in the Province of Cebu have "risen tremendously beyond expectations."

Recent global and national developments were said to have affected and influenced the capacity of the government to provide continuous, adequate and economic supply of energy and power.

The apparent lack of coordination and cooperation among different agencies and offices of the national government in charged of implementing the power activities and the concerned local government is feared to continue if the situation is not properly and effectively addressed. (FREEMAN)