P-Noy makes first visit to Mindanao tomorrow

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – President Aquino is set to meet with over 3,000 beneficiaries of the government’s poverty-alleviation program in his first ever visit to Mindanao after he assumed office on June 30.

The President is slated to arrive here tomorrow for a series of engagements including a dialogue with the beneficiaries of the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services: Kapangyarihan at Kaunlaran sa Barangay (Kalahi-Cidss: KKB) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the town of Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte.

Mr. Aquino shall also lead the inauguration of the 42.5-megawatt Sibulan hydropower project in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.

The project is considered to be the first CDM-registered hydro project in the Philippines and the largest among registered renewable energy projects in terms of generating capacity.

The Sibulan hydropower project involves the construction of two cascading hydropower generating facilities. The project taps the Sibulan and Baroring Rivers for hydropower generation estimated to be 212GWh of clean and renewable energy annually. Generated energy will be delivered to the Davao Light and Power Co. (DLPC).

The project is undertaken by Hedcor Sibulan Inc. (HSI), the special-purpose company organized to enter into contracts for the development, construction, and operation of the said project.

The Sibulan hydropower project was registered under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change as a Clean Development Mechanism Project on June 5, 2008. Hedcor will sell “certified emission reduction” units as a result of reducing GHG emissions by more than 95,000 CO2e, annually.

Actually, the President will first visit Cebu City today before proceeding to Davao City tomorrow.

He is expected to hold meetings with representatives from various other sectors as well as local officials and business groups in the region.

The President is also expected to be briefed by military officials on the security situation in Mindanao.