Agitprop sizzles, then ends in a whimper

When we first learned of the protest march by Sicogon islanders, we thought it was a march by thousands. Then later, the marchers reached Iloilo City and there they vehemently denounced alleged harassment by Sideco, the corporate owner of the Sicogon property.

Later, it turned out that the hundreds of families purportedly ejected from the island by Sideco were just four families. In short, even the barangay officials of the resort island agreed to an amicable settlement with Sideco.

In short, the protesters magnified their complaint to sometimes an unimaginable size just to get public attention. But later in a dialogue, the facts came out in clear terms and they backed down.

That’s what seems to have happened in the case of the Sicogon marchers. During a meeting at the Iloilo provincial capitol with Gov. Niel Tupas Sr. presiding, the three Sicogon barangay captains agreed with the Sarrosa brothers, Edgar and Edmund, that they were in favor of the island’s development into a major tourist spot. They also agreed that the controversy was blown out of proportion.

Provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada told Iloilo mediamen that only four families among the 5,000 islanders facing eviction were actually affected by Sideco’s development plans.

“It was agreed that the four families will go back to the properties they occupied and gather whatsoever they have left there,” Mejorada said.

The head of the one of the families, Amelia Cruz, said all they wanted was just to harvest their crops and get their livestock.

However, the legal issues and complaints before the Commission on Human Rights will continue.

Policemen will accompany the three other families – those of Elsa Bolaqueno, Thelma Basinillo, and Edmundo Villasis – to return and gather their possession.

Sicogon residents, who are members of the Federation of Sicogon Fisherfolk and Farmers Association, have petitioned 335 hectares of the Sideco property to be covered under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

Edgar Sarrosa said Sideco is preparing a master plan to position the place as an ecotourism destination in Western Visayas.

He pointed out that the plan envisions high-end visitors, international guests and retirees.

The Sicogon development will benefit the town of Carles, to which the island belongs. So will Iloilo province and the rest of Western Visayas, Sarrosa said.

Among the five investors are Selatara Commerce Ltd. from Jakarta, Indonesia; Euroclear Inc. from Calgary, Alberta, Canada; and China Donda Group.

Well, all’s well that ends well. Until the next round, if there is going to be any.

First Farmers to sell power to Cebu

It was something that caught Negrenses by surprise. But it could lead to a major controversy. This was the First Farmers Holding Corp.’s decision to export power to the Balamban Enerzone Corp. in nearby Cebu.

Central Negros Electric Cooperative director Roberto Benedicto brushed aside questions about the deal, pointing out that the FFHC cannot yet sell power to Ceneco because the Energy Regulatory Commission has yet to approve the power supply arrangement between the mill and the electric cooperative.

Ceneco suffers from a daily load shedding of five to 15 megawatts.

But he added that the power cooperative will have the first option to buy power from First Farmers “because we have signed an agreement with them,” Benedicto said.

Last year, former Ceneco president Roberto Montelibano signed a supply agreement with FFHC to buy an initial five megawatts from the former’s power plant in Dos Hermanas, Talisay City.

Under the contract, the FFHC will sell five megawatts of power to Ceneco for two years from 2008 to 2010 through its existing 69-KV transmission line in Talisay.

FFHC general manager Leo Echaus also said that Ceneco will pay FFHC a monthly electricity price per kilowatt-hour lower than their weighted net average generation charges before prompt payment discount.

Balamban is where the shipbuilding plant of the Aboitiz family is located. And it is as much in need of power as the business establishments of Bacolod. But the problem is that under the present situation, the FFHC cannot sell its power to Ceneco pending the approval of the ERC.

But Benedicto said this arrangement is only temporary because Ceneco will cut off use of its transmission line between FFHC and Balamban once the ERC approves the PSA between Ceneco and FFHC.

Watch out for the expected fireworks once that thing catches fire.