Tag Archives: Mindanao

Fight to STOP Political Dynasties

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Let me quote Alfred Alexander L. Marasigan a writer, analyst and researcher on his view why are Political Dynasties bad for the nation in an Inquirer Article comment.

WHY ARE POLITICAL DYNASTIES BAD FOR THE NATION?

Political dynasties are one of the main reasons why economic progress is slow and why poverty and injustice dominate the electorate. This is because the government programs and even the rules and regulations as well as the local laws are all being manipulated to favor the interest of those in power, who are usually the reigning political dynasty.

The ‘Check and Balance’ mechanism is destroyed and the commission of abuse of authority gets unabated. Worse, their dynasty’s level of influence as a result of the monopoly creates an atmosphere of sustained threat upon those who would dare oppose or criticize the incumbents. Consequently, those who could have done something to confront the abuse decided not to act on it anymore.

As per the World Bank itself, the weakness of the Philippine state “stems from the effective control by interest groups of the state machinery, such that rule-making and enforcement serves not the general welfare but particular interests.”

This is the same as electing a family to run a town or province. This includes gaining a considerable influence in Congress itself, where the major laws are defined.

Don’t assume that these people are angels from heaven. Their sweet talk and heavenly promises are nothing but words of deceit.

So, to start fighting Political Dynasties in the Philippines, Movement Against Dynasties or MAD are convincing each one of us to NOT vote for members of the political dynasties.

To support them, read on below… Continue reading →

Why We Need to Install Solar Energy Power Plant for Mindanao?

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Solar Power for Mindanao

Last year we have experienced the scheduling blackouts all over Mindanao because of the effects of El Nino, that reduced the water levels in our dams and other water systems in Mindanao where hydro power plants were installed. It really gave us all such pain in the behind because the 4-5 hours daily scheduled black outs affects our jobs and daily lives. A year has passed and the people seems forgot about that time and we seems so lenient now thinking everything was just a history.

But HEY! don’t be so relax about it because we are still in the RED ALERT despite the heavy rains we are experiencing today, blackout can still happens, though maybe rarely but are we going to wait until we are in dire needs of energy for electricity? Don’t you think that our necessity for hydro electric power plant may used up and time will come that we need to seek other alternatives to compliment our hydro power plants? Continue reading →

CEPALCO’s 1MWP Photovoltaic Power Plant

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Philippines has the largest solar power plant in Southeast Asia. It generates 1.1 MWp of power and is currently the 133rd largest solar power plant in the world and put the Philippines at number 9 among the countries in the world having the largest solar power plants! It is currently located in Tibasak of Barangay Macasandig in Cagayan de Oro City.

It consists of 6,480 Sharp ND-Q7E6Z photovoltaic modules and was designed to provide up to 1,500 MWh of electricity annually. Though they said that this PV plant puts the Philippines among the top solar power producers, but this single PV plant maintained by CEPALCO is not enough to supply the whole city of Cagayan de Oro because 1.1 MWp of power can only supply to a 1 Barangay in the city. That means we still need a lot more of this Solar power plants to supply the whole city and Cepalco is going to open another PhotoVoltaic plant inside a proposed 10-hectare solar park in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental. The capacity of this proposed plant will be at least 10-megawatt power (MWp), would be constructed over a period of at least five years and would use the best available solar technology in the market. It is expected to supply at least 14 million kWh of electricity annually to its distribution network.

The currently operating photovoltaic plant was constructed through a fund from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and facilitated by the World Bank through the International Finance Corporation according to our good friend Lloyd Castillo a supervisor of Cepalco’s Customer and Community Relations department.

Photovoltaics convert light into electric current using the photoelectric effect hence it is a renewable energy because we are getting energy from the sun for free and it doesn’t cost us fuel to run this plant, it doesn’t even need to be maintained by many employees because Photovoltaic Solar Power Plant needs less maintenance. Cepalco is promoting this kind of energy resources since it is nature friendly, clean and it could give a lot of savings. That means we will soon get a low cost electricity bills (hopefully). PV plants can reduce dependency on fossil fuels and climate-disrupting fossil fuels are being replaced by clean, climate-stabilizing, non-depletable sources of energy such as the solar energy and the wind power.

Check out this article from Cepalco about their PhotoVoltaic Power Plant:

The developing world’s first and largest (at the time of its inauguration in 2004) on-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant, the 1MWp polycrystalline silicon-based PV plant and connected with the distribution network of Cagayan Electric Power & Light Co., Inc. (CEPALCO) in Cagayan de Oro City, has completed its third year of commercial operations with greater than expected annual energy production. From the start of tis commercial operations on September 26, 2004, the PV plant has exported to CEPALCO a total of 4,169,100 kWh or an average of 1,389,700 annually, which is 10% higher than the expected annual energy generation of 1,261,400 kWh. At its current generating capacity, the PV plant supplies the equivalent requirement of no less than 900 CEPALCO residential customers.

CEPALCO’s 1MWp plant, with installed costs close to 5.3 Million US Dollars, uses 6,500 solar panels on 2 hectares of land and was partially funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) which was facilitated by the World Bank through the International Finance Corporation. The GEF fund is a loan that turns into grant after five years of successful operation of the PV plant by CEPALCO. The turnkey contract was awarded to Sumitomo Corporation of Japan. Sharp of Japan manufactured the PV modules while Sansha manufactured the inverters. The balance of system components were procured locally.

The PV plant is designed to be operated in conjunction with the 7MW run-of-the-river hydro plant owned by CEPALCO subsidiary company, Bubunawan Power Company. Being one of a kind, the PV plant has already been visited by over 10,000 students and visitors both local and as well as foreign renewable energy enthusiasts since it started operations.

Gaining from the experience, CEPALCO now plans to embark into an even larger solar park within its service territory. The envisioned solar park shall make use of a 30-hectare lot within the First Cagayan de Oro Business Park in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental, some 30 minutes east of Cagayan de Oro City.

Pre-feasibility study of the proposed PV plant indicates that it will be able to supply the CEPALCO distribution network with not less than 14,000,000 kWh of electricity annually, which is equivalent to not less than 30,000 barrels of fuel oil per year. The proposed PV plant, with a total installed capacity of at least 10-MWp, shall be constructed over a period of at least five years and shall use the best available solar technology in the market. The phased-in construction strategy will enable CEPALCO to capitalize on the increasing efficiency but decreasing costs of solar cells, which currently command not less than 50% of the PV plant’s installed costs. It will also cushion the impact of generation costs on CEPALCO’s customers.

If implemented according to plans, the first phase of the proposed 30-hectare solar park shall be commissioned by 2012 to augment the expected shortfall of firm capacity in the Mindanao Grid.

Fashionista, How Do You Look?

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Ok, I need to stop nursing myself from being seasick by the nauseous causing rides at the Carnival in Limketkai Mall yesterday because I will attend the Mindanao Fashion Summit 5th day event later. There are 2 rides I will never ever try to ride again, the Sea Dragon/Viking and that thing that will make your world go round and round forever.

Thanks Emma for the ticket invite for the Mindanao Fashion Summit, I’m gonna try to be “Himantayon” later checking what styles are in and what are not. Though I am not a fashionista but I think I know how to pick the hot style from not. I’m gonna bring a camera to document the event. I have been watching the show since the first day but from the outside just passing by and try to peek what was happening and the creations of Frederick Peralta of Manila caught my attention into amazement. He has nice creations for using good materials for his designs and the details of the styles and arts made me and the audience gave him a round of applause.

I am looking forward to see more good creations from the designers in Mindanao and other parts of the Philippines later on. That’s it for now, the “Himantayon of Cagayan” will go out and check out this event in a closer look.

Ciao!

Panagtagbo Mindanao – a Visual Arts Exhibit with Visayas and Mindanao Artists

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How Panagtagbo Mindanao came about?

Art is an expression of one’s inner state and insight conveyed through brushes and paints, strings and voices, body motions and expression and in many different forms. As believed by many artists, art constantly redefined itself by breaking new grounds. Artists always create something new and different and this need to be shared and communicated with other artisans who have the passion for art.

“This is how the Panagtagbo exhibit was first conceived” as shared by a renowned Boholano artist Glenn Lumantaw. During the Sandugo Festival in 2009, Lumantaw enjoined all the other artists in Visayas using various media and interests to gather and share their art to promote art per se.

The exhibit displayed a variety of art form. Each artists has its own style ranging from installation, visual, reconstruction and music but they have one thing in common in which they all have the passion to progress their perception of art. Each seeking to evolve, to try and create something “never been done before”. Each has their own way of showing their passion via different genre.

Accordingly, “Panagtagbo” art exhibit refers to a collaboration of art medium without necessarily being confined to a specific theme and interpretation unlike in other conventional art exhibits which limits the artists to create something based on a common idea. The first exhibit turned out to be a success and it attracted more artists until it became a large gathering of artists from Visayas.

Consequently, the idea was extended to the neighbouring archipelago, Mindanao, due to the desire to encourage other artists to share their works in one gathering. Hence, “Panagtagbo Mindanao” came into being. This event coincides with the National Arts Month celebration 2011. It is a celebration where Mindanaoans meet with the Visayas Artists and share their various forms of passion in art.

Here are the wonderful works of art of the geniuses: Continue reading →