IT WAS a shortlived reprieve for Mindanao when the National Power Corp. (Napocor) made good its promise to keep electricity going uninterrupted during the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight on Sunday.
As the clock struck 3 p.m. that day, power went out again.
In General Santos City, Mayor Pedro Acharon Jr. ordered his men to proceed with the live showing of the fight at the 6,000-seat General Santos City gymnasium after learning there would be a steady supply of power.
Power availability also made it possible for Senator Manuel Villar, standard-bearer of the Nacionalista Party (NP), to co-sponsor the live showing of the fight in 12 venues in Compostela Valley.
It was an old trick in the political hat, however. Before the fight showing, a video clip showing Villar wishing Pacquiao luck was shown.
Mitra solution
Mindanao’s power situation, however, remains precarious, prompting an NP senatorial candidate to propose that government use its natural gas extracts from Malampaya in Palawan to power generator sets.
In a press statement, senatorial candidate Ramon Mitra III said, “There’s just too much hype given to emergency powers when what we really need is to let the people understand what is happening.”
“Let’s start with the basics,” said Mitra. “We need an accounting of what we have and what more do we need.”
He said Compressed Natural Gas could be converted to Liquefied Petroleum Gas, transport these in cylinder ships and use them as fuel for generator sets that could provide additional electricity to Mindanao and other areas suffering from what he said was a hyped up power crisis.
Natural gas, he said, could generate up to 2,700 megawatts of electricity daily, if only government used plants that run on this type of fuel.
Brownie points
The shortlived continued supply of electricity in Mindanao during Pacquiao’s fight showed simply that government could solve the power shortage if it wanted to, said Mitra.
It also allowed local government executives to win brownie points with their constituents.
In Digos City, Davao del Sur, Mayor Arsenio Latasa offered free viewing at the city gymnasium. In Mati City, Davao Oriental, the local government paid for pay-per-view rights shown in a local cable TV channel.
In Ozamiz City, which suffers from eight-hour outages daily, people flocked to the city gym to see the fight.
The uninterrupted supply of power also benefited Senator Benigno Aquino III, who went on a sortie in Ozamiz.
“I wish Manny will always have a fight,” said one resident.
Pedro Ambos, Napocor operations and planning manager, said the power supply came from “reserve substantial water” at the Pulangi Hydroelectric Plant in Bukidnon
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