Villar: Palawan entitled to Malampaya share

Sen. Manuel Villar Jr., chairman of the Senate committee on finance, has filed a bill that would entitle the province of Palawan to a share from the proceeds of the Camago-Malampaya natural gas project.

In filing Senate Bill 2582 which seeks to amend Republic Act 7611 or the Strategic Environmental Plan for Palawan Act, Villar said that there is a need to define the area of jurisdiction of Palawan.

He said that the adjustment would include in Palawan’s territory the present Camago-Malampaya natural gas facility, which, in turn, would grant the province a share from the proceeds of the natural gas project.

"The bill entitles Palawan to a share in the revenues not only from the Camago-Malampaya natural gas field, but also those that may be discovered in the Cuyo and Kalayaan groups in the future," Villar said.

In his proposed bill, Villar seeks the inclusion of the municipalities of Cuyo, Agutaya, Magsaysay, Cagayancillo, a portion of Busuanga and the area of the Kalayaan island group.

Villar noted that Malampaya is the largest natural gas development project in the Philippines and one of the country’s largest foreign investments. The project is located at the South China sea, off the northern island of Palawan. A 504-kilometer pipeline links the filed to three power plants in Batangas.

The project was officially inaugurated on Oct. 16, 2001.

Gas from Malampaya, according to Villar, will eventually fire three power plants with a combined capacity of 2,700-megawatt for the next 20 years and will displace 26 million barrels of fuel oil.

Villar said the bill also proposes to expand the powers of Palawan Council for Sustainable Development to include the right to impose penalties and fines, seize instruments of crime, apprehend violators, and exercise contempt powers to compel compliance.

He said that it also includes an increase in the budget of the council and ensures that funds for its operation and law enforcement activities would always be available.

"The bill also seeks to institute check and balance mechanisms to avoid official indiscretion or abuse of power in the utilization of revenues from the province’s share by making the governor and the representatives of the legislative districts of the province of equally accountable to the Palaweños for the use of valuable public funds," Villar said. – Jose Rodel Clapano