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Foreign firm to present power supply options to the country

Roy — Sun, 15 May 2011 05:26:39 +0000

A United Kingdom company is offering the Philippines its power solution to help avoid power disruptions in the country.

The British Embassy in Manila said Aggreko, a developer of power solutions, will be coming in the country next week to make a presentation of its product. The embassy said the company’s expertise could help address the possible power shortage in the near future which poses a threat to businesses operating in the country.

Aggreko is bringing to the country its more than 45 years of experience in the power solution industry. The company is said to be the world leader in the supply of temporary power and temperature control services. It will present its alternative solutions to potential power disruptions when it makes its presentation to the country next week.

The target participants in its presentations include the construction industry, food and beverages, agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, government and institutions, mining and mineral processing, ports and telecommunications, among others.

Aggreko owns the world’s largest power rental fleet which consists of diesel and natural gas generating sets. Company experts will be in Manila to present different power supply options to help businesses avoid opportunity lost and other costs that could be brought about by power disruptions.

The company will be organizing the seminar presentation in partnership with the British Embassy in Manila, through UK Trade & Investment. The aim of the seminar is to inform industries in the country of the different power supply options available in case of unavoidable future power supply shortages.

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Bebeng intensified into a storm

Roy — Sat, 07 May 2011 12:32:56 +0000

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Saturday that tropical depression “Bebeng” has intensified into a storm. According to PAGASA, Bebeng is threatening to hit the Bicol region.

Bebeng was spotted 220 kilometers east of Legaspi City with maximum winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center as of 4 p.m. Saturday. PAGASA has raised public storm signal no. 2 on the following provinces: Sorsogon, Albay, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, and Northern Samar.

The following areas were placed under public storm signal no. 1: Masbate, Ticao Island, Burias Island, Camarines Norte, Quezon, Polillo Island, Aurora, Marinduque, Easter Samar, and Western Samar.

It is expected to be around 69 kilometers northeast of Daet, Camarines Norte on Sunday afternoon, and by Monday, Bebeng is expected to be 110 kilometers north of Baler, Aurora or 70 km south of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRMC) advised residents living near rivers and lakes in the northern part of the country to “take appropriate actions.” The NDRMC said that the 26 low-lying areas near the Bicol River Basis are likely to be affected by the slow rise in the water. Flooding may also be possible as basin rainfall will likely be moderate to heavy.

Bebeng has also caused the cancellation of at least six domestic flights in 10 provinces in Northern and Central Philippines. According to the Manila International Airport Authority media affairs division, the cancelled flights included Air Philippines’ flight to and from Catarman. Cebu Pacific also had it flights to and from Catarman cancelled.

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PNOC-EC eyes expansion of coal production

Roy — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 12:35:27 +0000

The Philippine National Oil Company-Exploration Corporation (PNOC-EC) earmarked P900 million for the expansion of its coal mining ventures in Zamboanga Sibugay in Western Mindanao. The state-run oil exploration company said that its board of directors has already approved the special budget “to fund the development of existing coal mine” that will enable it to double its annual production of steaming coal to 500,000 metric tons.

The expansion is in line with company’s mandate to develop more sources of indigenous energy for the country’s needs. PNOC-EC’s coal mine in Zamboanga Sibugay is said to produce the highest grade of coal quality in the country. Developments in the mine are underpinned by the company’s coal operating contracts 41 and 152 as awarded by the Department of Energy.

Aside from its Zamboanga Sibugay mine, the company is likewise engaged in coal exploration and development activities in Isabela and Surigao del Sur via coal operating contracts 122, 141 and 140. PNOC-EC also operates coal terminals in Zamboanga Sibugay, Cebu, Batangas, and North Harbor for its integrated coal trading activities. These locations have been serving as handling facilities for local as well as imported coal which the company supplies to power plants and cement factories.

PNOC-EC is also into oil and gas exploration. It currently holds interest along prospect areas in Cagayan, Ragay Gulf, Offshore Mindoro, Calamian, West Calamian, West Balabac and East Sabina. Its biggest venture in oil and gas development to date is still the Malampaya deep water gas-to-power project. Its Service Contract (SC) 38 for the Malampaya field is only the acreage in the production phase; while the rest are still exploration blocks.

The company is also aligning a budget of $100 million for its next round of investment in the Malampaya project. Given its current financial standing, PNOC-EC noted that it is all set for capital infusion once the project consortium-members comes off for a “cash call.”

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Landslide hits small-scale mining community at Compostela Valley

Roy — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 11:04:45 +0000

A landslide hit a small-scale mining community in the municipality of Pantukan, Compostela Valley on Friday. Reportedly, there were two persons killed, six were injured and 40 others believed to be missing.

According to Liza Mazo, Office of Civil Defense-Region 11 director, the landslide was caused by heavy overnight rains. “It’s been raining hard since last night here, causing a high-risk landslide area to give in, burying houses below,” she said. The landslide happened at around 2:30 a.m. at Purok Side B, Sitio Panganason, Barangay Kingking.

One of those who died was identified as Jan-jan Torejos who was said to be around 15 to 16 years old. The other fatality has not been identified yet at the moment. One body was still in the landslide-hit area as of 3 p.m. Friday, while the other body has already been transferred to the municipal center in Pantukan.

Col. Roberto Domines, commander of the 1001st Brigade, 10th Infantry Division, said there is really no confirmed number of missing person since most of the small-scale miners are transients. Not even the municipal government of Pantukan knows the exact number of people who live in the affected area. However, he said there are about “40 to 50 persons reported to be missing.”

At present, search and rescue operations are ongoing for the missing persons. The Philippine Air Force has been sent three helicopters to transport survivors, rescuers and light equipment. Domines said there were 3 platoons of regular soldiers plus a Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) posted in the affected area as well.

Those who were seriously injured were brought to the Davao Regional Hospital and the Pantukan hospital. The victims of the landslide are mostly miners working in the area.

Dominos said people from the community, the municipal government of Pantukan, the provincial government of Compostela, as well as mining companies which used to operate in the area are also assisting in the effort. He said he welcomes all offers to help, adding that they need more heavy equipment to dig through the rubble.

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Ayala invests in hydro-electric power

Roy — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 05:33:57 +0000

Another venture that the Ayala group is breaking into is the hydroelectric power generation partnership. The conglomerate, through its wholly owned subsidiary Michigan Power Inc. (MPI) has entered into a joint venture agreement with Sta. Clara Power Corp., an independent power producer specializing in run-of-the-river power plants. Ayala Corp managing director John Eric Francia confirms this as stated in the company’s disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange.

MPI and Sta. Clara will be developing a run-of-the-river (ROR) hydroelectric power projects across the Philippines. MPI will take a 70-percent stake in the venture and has committed an initial equity infusion of about P600 million.

A run-of-the river hydroelectric power plant operation involves “borrowing” some river water to turn its kinetic energy into electricity and returning the same unpolluted water back into the river. Francia said, “It is considered as green because it does not produce harmful emissions. Like other renewable power technologies, it is economical as it depends on the free energy of nature as fuel.”

Speaking on the joint venture agreement, president and chief operating officer Fernando Zobel de Ayala said, “This venture builds on our current portfolio of renewable energy assets, which focuses on solar, wind and hydro power technologies. This is an important component of our plan to create a portfolio of power assets over the medium term that blends conventional and sustainable energy sources and contribute to the country’s energy requirements.”

The Ayala group has ventured into power generation as a key platform for future growth especially as demand for electricity is expected to rise in the years ahead. And since the company has yet to build its expertise in the industry, part of its strategy is forging partnership with other institutions.

In the next five years, the conglomerate plans to build a portfolio of power generation assets that will include both renewable and conventional with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts. Francia said that it is all “in line with Ayala’s campaign to augment the country’s power supply primarily through renewable and clean energy.”

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DOE cancelled 70 renewable energy contracts

Roy — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 06:10:34 +0000

About 70 renewable energy service contracts were cancelled by the Department of Energy (DOE) as part of its effort to weed-out “non-performing contracts” and offer them to more serious investors. Energy Undersecretary Jose M. Layug Jr. also said that licenses covering four prospective petroleum blocks were likewise cancelled.

The energy undersecretary said that the 70 companies to whom services contracts were awarded have failed to comply with the work program commitments as specified under their contracts. However, Layug noted that the companies were given a 60-day period to fix or submit the necessary documents and appeal to the DOE why their licenses should not be cancelled.

After the 60-day period, if no actions were taken or the companies were not able to justify themselves, the contracts will be offered to “more serious” investors who can deliver the necessary investments.

Layug explained, “Of the 227 renewable energy service contracts, we have 70 service contracts in renewable energy that we have sent show-cause letters to for non-performance. Every contractor has a period of work commitment. If you don’t comply, we cancel it.”

He added that, “The others were even silent despite our show-cause letters but there were those that eventually and immediately volunteered, about 10 of them, and we appreciate it.” He further noted that most those that were cancelled concerned hydropower projects.

Since Energy Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras took the top seat of the energy department last year, the DOE has started a stringent review of all the contracts that have been awarded by the agency to ensure that there were no irregularities involved in their granting.

The 227 renewable energy service contracts were earlier estimated to generate at least 4,500 megawatts (MW) in additional capacity for the country’s three main grids. Initial investments for the service contracts were seen to reach around P90 billion.

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Philvocs wants people out of the Taal Volcano area

Roy — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 04:49:50 +0000

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvocs) urged the local government of Batangas City to start drawing up long-term relocation plans for residents near Taal Volcano and issued a warning that the entire volcano island could be “obliterated” in case an eruption occurs.

Philvocs director Renato Solidum said during a meeting with the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council of Batangas that “Sometimes nature will prevail, the people have to leave so why not invest now in the long term to avoid endangering people’s lives?” Solidum said the volcano’s present activity has been observed to be similar to previous eruptions in 1965 to 1970 and 1976 to 1977 wherein the entire volcano island was “totally obliterated.”

Solidum said Batangas officials must make its people understand how dangerous it is to live on the island because of what happened in the past. He said their livelihood and the education of their children are disrupted because they have to evacuate every time the Volcano becomes restive and then return to their homes again when alert levels are lifted. Taal Volcano can continue to be a tourism area, said Solidum. He added however that since it is a national park, “there should be no people there.”

While Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto agrees on a long-term relocation program, she said many things would have to be considered before this becomes 100 percent successful. “It won’t be that easy. Even at alert level 2, the people refuse to evacuate,” she said.

Alert level 2 has been issued by Philvocs over Taal after recording 11 volcanic earthquakes on Tuesday morning. A Philvocs bulleting said magma has been moving toward the surface as shown by a remarkable increase in carbon dioxide being released in the main crater lake. Solidum said that if the magma continues moving toward the surface, the volcano could erupt.

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Another earthquake shook Japan

Roy — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 17:25:46 +0000

Another powerful earthquake hits Japan anew on Thursday. The Japan Meteorological Agency recorded the quake at a magnitude of 7.4 while the US Geological Survey said it was 7.1. The recent quake triggered a tsunami warning for one prefecture and advisories in other prefectures. The National Police Agency said there were no reports of casualties from anywhere in the earthquake zone.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company said that workers were evacuated from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant following the quake. The Tokyo Electric sad it has communication with the plant and the power is still on in there. There were also no immediate reports of damages.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake’s epicenter was off the coast of Miyagi in northeastern Japan. The US Geological Survey reported that the quake was centered 41 miles (66 kilometers) from Sendai, which was one of the areas worst hit by last month’s 9.0-magnitude quake; and 73 miles (118 kilometers) from Fukushima, where a crisis has been under way at the nuclear plant since last month’s tsunami.

Public broadcaster NHK said a tsunami warning was issued for Miyagi prefecture saying that people in the area should evacuate away from the shore to a safe place. Likewise, NHK also issued tsunami advisories for the Pacific coast of Aomori Prefecture, and for the Iwate, Fukushima, and Ibaraki Prefectures.

According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, based on all available data, “a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is not a tsunami threat to Hawaii.” The quake was centered 207 miles (333 kilometers) from Tokyo, said the US Geological Survey. It was 15.9 miles deep and took place shortly after 11:30 p.m. local (10:30 a.m. ET), the agency reported.

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Geneva Cruz strips anew for PETA

Roy — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:30:48 +0000

Filipina singer and actress Geneva Cruz once again has gone naked for a cause. Cruz went nude in the latest ad campaign of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia dubbed, “Go Natural, Go Vegan.”

In the latest ad, Cruz was stripped in her birthday suit and was only clutching an armful of tomatoes to cover her bosom in her bid to catch the public’s attention to stop eating meat.

Cruz, who stopped eating meat at the age of 15, said “For me, being vegan is not about the diet. It’s really about my love for all creatures. In addition to saving countless animals every year, the health benefits of a vegan diet are countless, whereas the consumption of animal-derived foods has been linked not only to heart disease and cancer but also multiple sclerosis and osteoporosis.”

In the latest ad, shot by renowned photographer Niccolo Cosme, PETA once again hit at the meat industry. The group said the industry employs “immeasurable cruelty” to animals raised and killed for meat, dairy products and eggs, adding that meat and dairy production can take a toll on a person’s health as well as on the environment.

“Animal grazing has been responsible for loss of topsoil and eventual desertification in many parts of the world. The animals destroy the land’s protective vegetation. Then wind removes the soil and converts formerly productive rangeland into desert. Forest lands in China and South America are being destroyed to clear space for grazing or to grow food for farmed animals,” PETA said.

Cruz said she became vegetarian after shooting a shampoo commercial in Palawan years ago. She recalled, “All the animals were just roaming free. All I had to do was feed one of them and say, ‘Natural!’ We kept doing that, take after take… I couldn’t support the meat industry anymore. Not after that.”

The singer-actress was also declared as the Philippines’ Sexiest Vegetarian in 2009. Other local famous vegans are Chin-chin Gutierrez, Yasmien Kurdi, and Alicia Mayer.

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Aboitiz group earmarked P49 B for its 2011 Capex

Roy — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 12:16:24 +0000

A total of P49 billion for its capital expenditures (capex) this year is being allocated by the Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. (AEV), the bulk of which will be used to fund its proposed coal-powered projects. According to company senior vice president and chief financial officer Stephen G. Paradies, P46 billion of the capex would go to Aboitiz Power Corp. (APC). “This is inclusive of the share of our partners in those power businesses where we have partners. So if you take just our proportionate share of APC, it amounts to P24 billion,” he explained.

Paradies said that the planned capex for APC would be used for the construction of a 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Subic, which will be done with their partner. He added that it is being considered that the capacity of the project would be increased to as much as 600 MW, and therefore, the project cost would increase too.

The APC was, according to Paradies, was planning to raise as much as much P51 billion in borrowings to specifically fund two power projects over the next few years. He explained earlier that the company would start arranging syndicated loans for its coal power projects in Subic and Davao starting on the second half of 2011.

For Subic, the planned borrowing could either be P17 billion, if they would stay with the original 300-megawatt coal facility, and P34 billion should they decide to pursue the increased 600-megawatt capacity. For its Davao facility, APC was looking at raising P17 billion for a proposed 300-megawatt coal fired power plant.

The amount cited though, as Paradies clarified, included only the debt portion of the planned projects and would be drawn down by APC in tranches over a certain period. He said for these borrowings, the company was looking at longer tenors of about 12 years.

The Subic coal facility is expected to start construction within the year, according to APC president and chief executive officer Erramon I. Aboitiz, who said that the company was already finalizing its engineering, procurement and construction contracts with Formosa Heavy Industries.

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Government urges Filipinos to participate in Earth Hour 2011

Roy — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 05:57:12 +0000

Earth Hour 2011 will be celebrated again for the fifth straight year and the Philippines is one of the countries who has many participants for this annual exercise. For this year, the Earth Hour will be on March 26, 2011, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

During Earth Hour, those who are participating in this advocacy would be turning off their lights for one hour. For this year though, the Earth Hour organization is advocating its theme, “This Earth Hour: Go Beyond The Hour.”

In the Philippines, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Executive Director Maximo O. Dichoso is spearheading the observation of the Earth Hour by asking both government and private offices and establishment to switch off all lights and other non-essential electrical appliances to “relieve Planet Earth and its inhabitants of destructive carbon stress build-up.”

The environment secretary believes that the country will surpass last year’s celebration as the event is seen to be more popular and is getting more support, both from the public and private sectors.

For the past two years, Philippines was said to have recorded the most number of participating towns and cities in this annual global event. Last year, there were some 15 million Filipinos in 1,076 towns and cities voluntarily switching off power for an hour.

But Dichoso stressed that they are not after breaking any record and/or setting a new one. More than the record, he is calling on Filipinos to participate and reduce their carbon footprint by decreasing their electrical consumption for a total 60 minutes, in an effort to cut emissions generated from carbon dioxide and fossil fuel, which substantially contributes to adverse climate change.

Earth Hour started in Sydney, Australia in 2007 which was just then a one-city campaign. Soon the world caught on with the practice and it became an annual campaign for environmental awareness.

The official Earth Hour 2011 campaign video

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Philippines bans chocolate milk from Japan

Roy — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 02:22:58 +0000

The country temporarily bans chocolate milk products from Japan after the March 11 earthquake, although it was just a verbal order issued by Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) Director Efren Nuestro. Philippines joins other countries like Russia, Canada, Australia and Singapore, among the list of countries which banned Japanese food imports as radioactive steam wafted anew from the Fukushima Dai-chi Nuclear Power Station.

Nuestro said that a formal order is already being drafted canceling a previous clearance for the import of Japanese chocolate milk products. “We will recall the veterinary quarantine clearance for chocolate milk products that were shipped into the Philippines after March 11.”

Together with the BAI, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), would screen animal-based products from Japan for abnormal radiation levels and recommend the suspension of the importation of suspect items. The two agencies are both under the Department of Agriculture.

A random sampling of mackerel from Japan would be conducted to determine if they have a high radioactivity level, said BFAR Director Malcom Sarmiento. According to him, the country imported 4,000 tons of mackerel from Japan last year for food processing.

Quarantine officer Rico Capulong said that the Philippine custom authorities are also keeping a close watch on any imports from areas of Japan that were close to the stricken nuclear plants. “Not all parts of Japan were affected. There are certain areas that we are concentrating on,” he said.

Meanwhile, three United Nations agencies issued a joint statement in Geneva, pledging their commitment to “mobilizing their and expertise” to help Japan, noting that “food safety issues are an additional dimension of the emergency.”

The three agencies, International Atomic Energy Agency, World Health Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organization, said Japan was taking the right action. “Food monitoring is being implemented, measurements of radioactivity in food are taking place and the results are being communicated publicly,” the three agencies added.

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DENR ordered closure of sugar mill in Batangas

Roy — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 21:51:41 +0000

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has ordered the closure of a sugar mill in Balayan, Batangas for its violations of Philippine environmental laws. A cease-and-desist order (CDO) has been issued by DENR Secretary Ramon Paje against Batangas Sugar Central Inc. for what he claimed were the company’s repeated violations of the Philippine Clean Water Act and the Philippine Clean Air Act.

Paje said, “I would like to make it clear that the sugar mill is committing two kinds of violations here. One is the violation against environmental laws for its continued emission of smoke and effluents that do not meet the DENR standards, and the other is its blatant disregard of the standing CDO earlier issued against it.”

The environment secretary also ordered the DENR’s office in Region IV-A to serve the CDO and to ensure that it will be implemented. “I have marching order to the regional office of the Environmental Management Bureau to strictly implement the CDO, and make sure that Batangas Sugar Central Incorporated does not operate until its violations are properly addressed,” Paje said.

He also ordered the DENR regional office to conduct air and water samplings before it executes the CDO to determine the extent of pollution that the sugar mill has caused. Likewise, he directed the office to put a billboard in a conspicuous area to notify the public of the violations and the status of the company.

In 2010, three firms were found violating laws to protect the environment and slapped with penalties by the DENR.

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Trans-Asia signed supplier deal with SEM-Calaca Power plant

Roy — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 06:27:48 +0000

Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp., a publicly listed firm, recently signed a contract with SEM-Calaca Power Corp. for the purchase of Trans-Asia of power generated from the Consunji-led Calaca Power Corp. Trans-Asia, in its disclosure submitted to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) said it signed on Wednesday the contract “to purchase generated energy,” which will be valid for three years.

Trans-Asia President Francisco L. Viray said the company was buying the generated output as a retail electricity supplier (RES). He did not indicate though, how much of the plant’s output The company would buy from SEM-Calaca. Earlier, Trans-Asia was awarded a RES license by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)

ERC chairperson Zenaida Ducut said that a RES license holder like Trans-Asia will be able to actively participate in the electricity market once open access and retail competition are put in place. Under an open access environment, large power users will have the option to choose their own power suppliers. Under the status quo, power users, whether big or small, are limited to the suppliers with jurisdiction over their areas.

SEM-Calaca Corpopration, is company formed by DMCI Holdings and Semirara Mining Corporation to Handle the Calaca coal facility, which was previously owned by the government through National Power Corp. The investment of SEM-Calaca in the Batangas coal facility was earlier estimated at $483.6 million which includes the acquisition cost of $361.7 million. The remaining $121.89 million will go to the rehabilitation and working capital requirement of the said power plant.

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DFA said no reported Filipino casualties in Japan yet

Roy — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 23:19:27 +0000

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said that as of yesterday, there were still no reported Filipinos who have been injured or killed in the earthquake that hit Japan last Friday, although the department said that there about 4,500 Filipinos who are believed to have been affected by the disaster.

The DFA in Manila said they still haven’t received any report of any casualty or death from the Philippine embassy in Tokyo, Philippine consulate general in Osaka, and the four honorary consulates in Japan, Sapporo, Morioka, Nagoya and Naha. DFA spokesman Eduardo Malaya said most of the destruction occurred in Sendai, near Morioka.

Since Friday, the DFA in Manila have been receiving calls from worried relatives of Filipinos in Japan. DFA Undersecretary Rafael Sequis said they are having a hard time to establish contact with Filipinos in Japan because the communication lines are still down. Malaya said, “We’re also monitoring those people finder open databases and cross-checking our database with them once we have information about the individuals in those databases we will also be updating what we have.”

Reports from the Philippine consulate general in Osaka said that there is minimal damage in the southern and western regions of Japan. “So far those who have relatives within this area do not have to worry. Only those who may have something to worry about would be those in the Sendai area,” Malaya said.

He assured the public that the Philippine embassy in Tokyo is capable of immediately responding to calls for help because it is one of the larger Philippine embassies in the world having 50 personnel and seven officers. There are about 225,000 Filipinos in Japan, most of whom are residing in the central regions.

The Japanese government is still assessing the extent of damage brought about by the tsunami which followed the magnitude 8.9 quake. As of yesterday, Japanese media emergency broadcasts reported 432 confirmed deaths (202 in Iwate, 83 in Miyagi and 82 in Fukushima), 1,128 injuries and 725 missing persons. Names and nationalities of the victims were still unknown as of press time.

Iwate, Fukushima and Miyagi were the hardest hit. All are located in the Tohoku Region in northeastern Japan.

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All set for the 2011 Kalibo Ati-atihan

Roy — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 15:21:02 +0000

Kalibo, Aklan is all set for the celebration of the Ati-atihan Festival. Observed in the third week of January, Ati-atihan is considered as the mother of all Philippine festivals and fiestas, and this year, the town is all set for a weeklong spectacular show next until its culmination on January 16.

Mayor William S. Lachica of Kalibo said that they are all set for the Kalibo Ati-atihan 2011. He said that with the active cooperation of various organizations, the success of the festival is assured. These organizations include the Kasapi Foundation, cultural and civic organizations, the business sector, Sto. Niño religious groups, and the municipal barangay officials. The mayor expressed his gratitude for the whole capital town’s people who are “enthusiastically setting up preparations to welcome guests and tourists.”

For her part, Vice Mayor Madeline Ang Regalado that the officials and members of the Kalibo Sangguniang Bayan (SB) are mobilizing all efforts to see it that the Kalibo Ati-atihan 2001 will be a success.

The town is expecting the arrival of members and officers of the different Aklan associations through the United States (US), Europe, Canada, Middle East, as well as from other countries. They are also expecting diplomat and cultural attaches of embassies, consulates and delegations from the different countries, as well as journalists from various parts of the country and some special guests of Aklanons.

The whole festivity is dedicated to the Sto. Niño (Infant Jesus), who is said to be generously blessing His devotees with good health and prosperities. The 2011 Kalibo Ati-atihan will be featuring the parade of different tribal contingents with amazing colorful costumes. Organized groups participating in the festival receive substantial awards of recognition and cash prizes for winning its contest.

The Municipal Economic Enterprises and Development Office (MEDO), under which the local tourism operates, represented by its head Juliet T. Melgarejo, said they are leaving no stones unturned to make sure that the observance of the Ati-atihan will be successful, which in turn will redound to the economic, social and cultural enhancement of the town, Aklan, and its people as well.

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Saving the white beach.

arbe — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 12:12:54 +0000

The boracay is one of the finest travel destination here in the philippines. But now it can turn into a not so good destination because some of the tourist that are going there are not caring about its environment so it is going to be destroyed little by little.

But some private corporation and non-government organization together with the local government of aklan are setting a program to help save the white beach, Boracay Island. It will be called the Boracay Beach Management Program (BBMP) and was launched last September 25, 2010. This will settle all the concerns and problems of the white beach including the environmental issues.

The president of the Boracay Foundation Inc., Loubelle Cann said that the Boracay Beach Management Program (BBMP) will be focusing on costal resource management, watershed management, solid waste management and water waste management.

If they can prevent the destruction of the white beach it can attract more and more tourist and can create many job and business opportunities.

The Petron Corp., Petron Foundation, San Miguel Corp., Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and Boracay Island Water Company are the partners of the local government and some government agencies such as Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Tourism.

This program will surely help to save the white beach and improve it so that it can attract more investment and tourist.

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Nido sold first crude oil to a company in South Korea

Roy — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 16:05:03 +0000

Nido Petroleum Ltd. sold its first oil from the Tindalo oil field off Palawan. The Australian firm has sold to a buyer in South Korea some 230,000 barrels for crude oil cargo. Joanne Williams, Nido deputy managing director, said the sale was confirmed by the joint venture’s marketing agent, Trafigura Pte Ltd., with the lifting expected in the second half of September.

“An advance on the proceeds from 173,655 barrels of crude oil from the first sale was received on August 19. These barrels will remain stored aboard the floating storage and offtake (FSO) vessel until the lifting,” Williams said.

The Tindalo oil well is producing approximately 1,535 barrels of oil a day. Williams said that the Service Contract 54 A, which covers the said oil well, has also approved the Tindalo-1 well intervention and remediation program.

She explained, “Dependent upon the results of diagnostic logging that will be undertake after, well re-entry will involve either one or more of the following options: reperforation deeper in the oil column; water shutoff via cement squeeze; or sidetrack drilling within the Nido Limestone.”

Nido’s stake in the SC 54A joint venture license is 42.4 percent. 30.1 percent interest belongs to another firm, Yilgarn Petroleum, Trafigura Ventures has 15 percent and TG World (BVI) Corp. has 12.5 interests. The Tindalo oil well is estimated to yield up to 24.5 million barrels of oil

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SURE Eco earmarked $90 M for renewable energy projects

Roy — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 05:07:41 +0000

Solutions Using Renewable Energy (SURE) Eco Philippines Inc., a renewable energy company, is earmarking $90 million for its investments. SURE Eco spokesman Clarence de Guia said the funds will be used for the construction of several biogas-fed power plants. The funding will be a combination of debt and equity. De Guia said they plan to look for financing from banks and from multilateral financial institutions like the Asian Development and World Bank.

He said the plan is construct a 30 megawatt (MW) facility, on top of the four biogas/biomass project that they are currently undertaking.

The company, together with its joint venture partners, MG Leasing and RLU Group of Companies have already installed a 400-kilowatt waste-to-energy facility in Lipa, Batangas, of of the first industrial-scale biogas plants in the province.

SURE Eco also tied up with Pepsi Cola Products Philippines Inc. for the construction of a 1.2 MW, rice husk and wood chip-fired cogeneration power plant at a cost of $2.7 million which is expected to be completed in January 2011. This will make Pepsi Cola the first softdrink bottling plants in the country to have a green cogeneration power facility.

SURE Eco also has an ongoing 1.2-MW build-operate-transfer project with conglomerate San Miguel Corp. in Vietnam. The company’s other ongoing projects are in Bukidnon, Nueva Ecija and Laguna. Its projects have a combined capacity of 1.5 MW and will cost more than $3 million to complete. They are also involved in other renewable energy development projects such as solar and mini-hydro.

De Guia said, “We have pipeline projects. Long-term, what we want is to have a centralized or a bigger capacity, our thrust is to have the most diversified renewable energy portfolio. We’re looking at mini-hydro and other forms of renewable energy.”

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Natural-dye technology developed by DOST

Roy — Sun, 30 May 2010 01:04:09 +0000

A new technology that will produce natural and eco-friendly dyes was developed by the Philippine Textile Research and Institute (PTR1) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

The use of natural dyes was nearly forgotten when synthetic dyes were introduced in the market. Fortunately, many people are now becoming more and more conscious, and concern, about the environment. There was an increase in the demand of natural dyes, which can be obtained from bark, wood, roots, berries, lichens, insects, shellfish and flowers.

Because of the increase in the demand of natural dyes, different research and development programs to support the production of equally environment-friendly textile products was also conducted.

The research project was dubbed “Pilot Scale Verification of Selected Natural Dye Powder Production and Textile Application Technologies.”

The research team from PTR1, led by Julius Leaño was able to develop a technology that focuses on seven dye sources. These are the annatto, duhat, mahogany, yellow ginger, indigo, sampalok and talisay. The team was assisted by the Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development (PCIERD).

According to Leaño, most of the sources that were mentioned produced satisfactory results on colorfastness test, and the color uniformity and reproducibility of the selected dye sources were also enhanced. He also added that the natural dye powder has good shelf life and reproducibility and exhibits good colorfastness to washing and light when applied to the materials.

With the help of the Technology Business Incubation (TBI) of the DOST, the technology was further enhanced, and is now ready for interested institution that can comply with the requirements and regulations of the PTR1.

The PTR1 hopes that the takers of the technology will increase the promotion and awareness on the availability, use and commercial production and application of natural dye powders; and ensure the continuous development of the technology.