US Agency Signs Grant To Help Electric Cooperatives In RP

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 12, 2008) – The US Trade and Development Agency on Friday signed an agreement with the Philippines’ Rural Electrification Distribution Financing Corporation that would help finance various projects that will benefit electric cooperatives in the country.

The grant will finance the technical assistance that REFC requires to help rural electric cooperatives minimize energy losses and power outages while increasing electric supply, improving their distribution systems, and increasing their financial viability.

REFC has chosen the Virginia-based National Rural Electric Cooperative Association International Ltd. (NRECA) to provide the USTDA-funded technical assistance.
USTDA Senior Commercial Officer Patrick Wall and REFC President Lamberto Canlas signed the grant worth $404,510 grant (about P19 billion).

The rapid growth of the customer bases of rural electric cooperatives in the Philippines has strained their ability to plan and invest in distribution repairs. REFC said it is working to address this problem as well as to enable the cooperatives to expand their distribution to underserved areas.

REFC was formed in 2000 by 15 rural cooperatives as a financing arm to provide guidance and loans to improve the electric distribution system in the country.

The USTDA advances economic development in developing and middle-income countries and helps enhance US commerce with these countries. The agency funds various forms of technical assistance, early investment analysis, training, orientation visits, and business workshops that support the development of a modern infrastructure and a fair, open trading environment.

Mindanao Power Coops To Set Up Media Desk

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 3, 2008) - The Association of Mindanao Rural Electric Cooperative (AMRECO), the umbrella organization of 36 rural electric cooperatives in Mindanao, said it will put up its own Media and Communication Affairs Desk to effectively and regularly inform power consumers about its electrification program.

AMRECO Executive Director Clint Pacana said the proposed creation media desk is significant because this will regularly inform consumers what the association is doing for them and what it intends to do in the short, medium and long term development plans.

 

In the planning workshop held recently in Cagayan de Oro City, the AMRECO study team designated an officer who will head the Media and Communication Affairs Desk until such time it shall become a bureau. 

 

Also present during the planning workshop are AMRECO Legal Counsel lawyer Conchito Oclarit and representatives of the power cooperatives ZAMCELCO, LANECO, MOELCI -1 , MOELCI = 2, BUSECO, MORESCO-1.

The next AMRECO board meeting is scheduled on September 5 at the Innland Resort in  Butuan City, it said in a statement.

Arroyo Urges Congress To Approve Consumer Bill Of Rights

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar.10, 2008) - Filipino leader Gloria Arroyo urged Congress on Monday to approve the Consumer Bill of Rights to protect the public from unscrupulous traders, price manipulations and unfair trade practices, government media said.

Arroyo said the Congressional approval of the Consumer Bill of Rights will go a long way in easing the people’s burden arising from high prices and unfair practices.

"The high price of gasoline and everyday commodities hits our poor the hardest. While the high price of oil and now, the high price of rice in the world market due to global warming and therefore reduced production, is a global issue outside the control of government, we have nevertheless taken and will continue to take actions to reduce the pain on our people of these high prices,” she said in her address before some 3,000 participants of the 4th Mindanao Cooperative Summit in Cagayan de Oro City in Northern Mindanao.

She said the government is doing everything possible to lessen the impact on consumers of the current high prices of oil and prime commodities, including rice.

She pointed out that as part of government initiatives to reduce the price of oil in the local market despite the continuing increase in the price of the commodity in the world market, the government has reduced the tariff on oil imports.

"We have cut tariffs. We have started providing targeted cash payments to the poorest of our poor to help them cope. And we ask now Congress, Congressman Cua, Congressman Aquino, to help us enact a Consumer Bill of Rights to protect our citizens from price gouging, false advertising and other scams that prey on our people," Arroyo said.

She also ordered the National Food Authority to help stop the reported irregularities involving the distribution of NFA rice, including the diversion of subsidized rice intended for the Tindahan Natin outlets to commercial markets.

She said the reported diversion of NFA rice is “part of the culture of corruption that we still have to fight."

"And so we have ordered the NFA to prudently and strictly manage the distribution of the subsidized rice packs. And the NFA has begun by putting its own house in order,” Arroyo said. (With a report from Mark Navales)

Basilan Coop Needs Help

BASILAN ISLAND (Uly Israel / 23 Nov) – The United Workers Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative on Thursday appealed to the government and foreign donor countries for funding to help farmers rehabilitate dilapidated processing plant and rubber plantations on Basilan island in the southern Philippines.

Pedro Quistadio, Jr., chairman of the cooperative’s board, said it would require about P35 million to rehabilitate the old processing plant and another P70 million for the rubber plantations.

He said since the processing plant of the defunct Menzi Agricultural Corp. was turned over to the agrarian reform beneficiaries in April 28, 2003, it has remained in its old condition.

"The processing plant is currently operating in its 60 percent capacity and production costs have gone up. We really want to upgrade our plant, but we cannot afford it right now since it would cost about P35 million to rehabilitate it," Quistadio told the Mindanao Examiner.

The cooperative also must replant rubber trees to replace the matured ones. He said 40 percent of their stock of rubber trees are "over matured" with ages from 38 years old and above.

“That's why the coop's production has also decreased by 45 percent. About 300 to 400 hectares are due for replanting and the cost of replanting would be about P70-P80 million. We can only afford 20 percent of the required replanting and development," he said.

He said they are now looking into possible sources of credit to finance its rehabilitation projects, Quistadio said, adding, the cooperative prefers international financing institution to provide soft loans.

Isabela City has 45 villages and 17 of these are rubber-producing areas, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Basilan. The total area planted to rubber is approximately 2,459-ha and 57 percent or about 1,400-ha are considered productive.

Isabela City produces an average of 183,501 kilos of rubber every month, DTI said.

DTI records also showed that the two leading villages host the plantations of the two Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs) in Isabela -- the Latuan Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association, Inc. or LARBAI in Baluno and UWARDBMPC in Cabunbata.

Isabela’s rubber production is often shipped as cup lumps or in its semi-processed form because it lacks manufacturing plants to process rubber and turn them into finished products.

Reymundo Peña, officer-in-charge of the DTI in Isabela City, said: “While the current peace and order condition is good, the unstable and very costly power supply remains the biggest factor that delays the entry of manufacturing plants."

The supply of rubber clones and seedlings is not a problem for farmers, but they always complain about the high cost of shipping fertilizer and pest control chemicals.

“The farmers get their fertilizer needs and processing supplies from Zamboanga City and the cost of freight can be considered as prohibitive compared to when one purchases supplies from Manila," he said, adding, that local officials can seek the help of the national government to help them with this problem.

“Our business sector, especially the manufacturing can never be competitive because of the high cost of freight and electricity in Basilan,” he said. “The local economy can greatly benefit from its rich resources if processing plants could be set up here. It would create more jobs and more revenues,” he said. (Mindanao Examiner)