The positive despite the political cacophony

"What’s the latest news?" has become a daily mantra. But it seems that most of us have overlooked a development that may shock mass media moguls of the country.

"Oh, I’m getting sick and tired of all the developments. As if nothing is more important than the political twists. And nothing seems to be happening, except the latest that the media wish to dish out to the country. I switch off my TV. Now, I prefer to read the local newspapers."

That was a startling discovery during the 52nd Philippine Sugar Technologists’ Convention in Cebu City’s Waterfront Hotel last week.

There were about a thousand delegates from all over the country. And the expectation was that most of them were focused on developments in the center. But it was disappointing to notice that only a handful seemed to have continued interest in political developments.

There is a lesson in this for both the opposition and the administration. Government-owned or -controlled media covering the President do not register with the public. There is an automatic bias against this selective coverage.

But the biggest casualty is ANC. There has been a growing perception that the TV station is too involved in news manipulation, putting its own biases or perceptions when it is just supposed to be interviewing political leaders instead of dictating to them what to say and how to say it.

"It has become sickening," has become a common reaction by many of the so-called intelligentsia. Surprising. In short, the media have reached the level of public satiety with the sensational. And the public is hankering for more positive news. Unfortunately, the government, too, has fallen victim to the same trend of trying to manipulate news and events.

Energy Crisis

It seemed that most were preoccupied with trying to find solutions on how to survive the energy crisis and the continuing oil price increases. For sugar farmers, the inevitable complaint: the rising cost of inputs, especially chemical fertilizer.

For the common tao, of course, it was the issue of transport fares and how to make do with their daily earnings. And they virtually have nothing coming from the halls of Congress.

Thus, the surprise. Last Wednesday, the President traveled to Valencia in Oriental Negros to inaugurate the P1.7-billion geothermal plant that could generate 20 megawatts for the Cebu and Western Visayas grid.

Normally, an event of such a magnitude lands in the evening news or early morning news. But there was hardly anything about that major event. The Nasulo-Valencia geothermal plant will generate an additional 20 megawatts of power, enough to allay the apprehensions of Cebu and Western Visayas that they would run out of energy soon.

But that hardly merited mention in the news. Even regional periodicals hardly mentioned such a momentous event, which President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo dubbed as placing the country as the top user of geothermal energy in the world.

That capped the country’s continuing effort to extricate itself from dependence on oil-based fuel for its energy needs.

That’s why I wrote in my last two columns about Congress’ slow work on the National Ethanol Program, which has left, sort of, the energy program still hanging in the air despite the enthusiastic efforts by both the private sectors and some government agencies to accelerate the manufacture of indigenous sustainable energy sources.

That was supposed to have been a media event. But it seems that only the government media were invited to it. Mrs. Arroyo was accompanied by Energy Secretary Rafael Lotilla, Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, Rep. Herminio Teves (third district, Oriental Negros), PNOC-EDC president Paul Aquino, PNOC-EDC chairman Eduardo Manalac, Oriental Negros Gov. George Arnaiz, Valencia Mayor Rodolfo Gonzales Jr. and Napocor manager Rodolfo Pacana.

Manalac later explained that the PNOC-EDC was tapping another geothermal power source in Dauin, Oriental Negros, for another 20-megawatt plant. There are others being developed by the government, including the one in Bago City in central Negros Occidental.

Tupas Mediates Transfer Of Power Barge

As if to accent the importance of the Valencia-Nasulo power plant, Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas, incidentally, had to mediate an agreement between the Iloilo Electric Cooperative (ILECO III) and the National Power Corp. to prevent the transfer of a power barge to Barrio Obrero in Iloilo City.

The reason: such a move, according to Tupas, would plunge the fifth district of the province into blackouts that could nullify economic gains achieved so far with the availability of power.

That agreement saw ILECO III agreeing to shoulder the estimated P5.2 million to build the new docking pier for the power barge. The shallow waters, at its present berthing site in Estancia, have created technical problems.

The agreement calls for the Napocor to credit expenses incurred by ILECO III to its monthly power bill to allow the power firm to use its funds without crimping its ability to make prompt payments to the power agency.

This situation has gone on for more than one year. And the fact that sand from the shallow waters was being sucked into the barge’s cooling system prompted the Napocor to ask ILECO III to transfer the power barge to a deeper area or else transfer it to Bo. Obrero in Iloilo City.

That’s why such events as the activation of the Valencia-Nasulo geothermal power plant should have merited more coverage by the commercial media.

At least, it fuels hope that sometimes the government may seem to act slowly, but there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Malacañang’s media handlers should re-examine their communication plan.

Negros — Organic Food Island

But the President herself was in for a surprise — the initiative of the two Negros governors to set up a multimillion-peso Negros Island Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Foundation that will transform Negros into the "organic food capital of Asia."

The Chief Executive witnessed the signing of the MOA between Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon and Oriental Negros Gov. George Arnaiz in Tanjay City where the President proceeded after the Valencia geothermal plant’s inauguration.

Both governors put up P10 million each, while Agriculture Secretary Domingo Panganiban contributed a counterpart P10 million.

Both governors pledged to allocate about 10 percent of their agricultural areas for organic production by 2010. The agreement also calls for both provinces to ban the entry, introduction and import of genetically modified plants or animals within six months from the execution of the MOA.

They also pledged to establish within three months their respective provincial sustainable agricultural and rural development boards after the signing of the agreement.

Organic food and sustainable agriculture are the prime targets of the move.

Arnaiz said the first joint venture is the importation of cattle from Australia through an integrated cattle raisers’ association of both provinces.

For better coordination, the foundation will set up an office in Kabankalan City, which is accessible to both Oriental and Occidental officials and residents through the Mabinay-Kabankalan Highway, cutting by half the travel time between Dumaguete City and Bacolod.

Incidentally, known only to a few, Negros Occidental has been exporting tons of organic "muscovado" sugar through Alter Trade for several years now. As a matter of fact, with the help of Japanese technicians, Alter Trade is currently embarking on expanding its organic sugar output, which is exported not only to Japan but also to Europe.

The organic food global market is now worth $20 billion annually, according to Gov. Marañon. This is the one that Negros intends to tap.