Davao officials share concern over looming power crisis
by Prix D Banzon
Davao City (22 January) -- A Davao City government official expressed alarmed that if preparation will not be made now the looming power crisis expected in the next two years will have great effect not only on businesses and the economy but the lives of people.
Councilor Pilar Braga at Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City on Monday said although there are already steps done this needs to be reinforced.
She said they are proposing for a local energy summit next month in order for concerned authorities, offices and other organizations come up with steps to sustained the task of addressing the issue.
"We also need to get the true picture statistically," she said.
She said one of the steps to be pushed is for the awareness and consciousness be brought to the public where people's lifestyle be changed from wasteful to frugal.
The other step she said is to push for alternative sources of energy but this also needs further study and find out how far are we in looking for energy source.
Councilor Peter Laviņa meanwhile said that the national government is slow and reactive in pushing for alternative energy source.
In fact he said the Department of Energy has a very small budget allotted to alternative energy resources.
He said with the increasing price of oil and fuel about 70 percent of the budget for councilor goes to gasoline expense. The Davao City council funding requirement for gasoline is over P300,000.
Both councilors are pushing for alterative energy resource even as both said that Davao City is open for investors of this sort.
Braga meanwhile urged investors pushing for alternative energy to come to the city and present their products and wares.
Although she said one investor from Australia brought to Davao City an energy-operated motorcycle and a Manila-based businessman also made a demo of their product of the same kind.
"We need this here and Davao City is open for investors from any parts of the world to bring in their products that are environmentally safe and energy saving," she added. (PIA) [top]
