IN the face of unrelenting increases in the price of oil, former President Fidel Ramos on Tuesday suggested that the government should look closely into other indigenous sources of power, instead of the administration pinning its hope on a revived Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (Bnpp).

“Whether or not the price of oil keeps going up, it has long been studied by scientists, economists and politicians that the BNPP is good only for 600 megawatts (MW), which covers the Luzon grid, but what about the Visayas and Mindanao?” Ramos asked upon arrival from an economic forum in Nimbo, China.

Ramos’s statement was in response to an announcement by Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes that the administration is considering the revival of the BNPP due to the unabated increase in the price of oil and related products.

However, even if the plan pushes through, it would take many years to make the BNPP provide power for the country.

Ramos, who did not oppose the plan, said that since only the Luzon grid would be covered by the BNPP, he suggested that the government also explore alternative sources of energy, and one of them is Mount Apo in Mindanao, a source of geothermal energy.

He said that Mount Apo’s capabilities have already been assessed and that there are existing pipes to release the steam, which could be done by uncapping the pipes. He added that aside from Mount Apo, another hydrothermal source in Mindanao exists.

Aside from that, the former president said that the San Roque Dam could also provide 345 MW, while the Pantanbangan Dam could add another 112 MW to the Luzon grid, saying that “there should be no lack of power in the country if existing sources are properly tapped.”

The real problem that the government should address according to Ramos, is the transportation system, which is greatly affected by the upward spiral cost of fuel.

The increase in the price of oil and its products have pushed the cost of transportation, including transporting goods and services all over the archipelago, which was reflected in the high cost of basic commodities, contributing to the upward inflation.

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) projects that palay harvest for January to June may exceed 7.1 million metric tons (MMT).

THE government continues to fill its rice warehouses in Central Luzon with imported stocks while keeping aside the 25,535 bags of unmilled grains earlier procured to offset the impact of the lean season, which came much earlier than usual.

THE National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) regional office in Davao is pinning its hopes on Administrative Order (AO) 225 to enable the region to achieve rice self-sufficiency in the near term.

Government grants for research and development (R&D) activities continue to increase as universities and R&D institutions become more active in pursuing new discoveries in numerous fields, particularly biotechnology, agriculture and pharmaceuticals.

THE Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the country’s biggest power distributor, said Wednesday that its customers will experience a P0.4234 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) reduction in the generation-charge component of their June electricity bills.

IN the face of unrelenting increases in the price of oil, former President Fidel Ramos on Tuesday suggested that the government should look closely into other indigenous sources of power, instead of the administration pinning its hope on a revived Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (Bnpp).

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