Monte on
Ceneco-Kepco-Salcon contract

Yesterday morning, I caught Ceneco president Roberto Montelibano on TV explaining the Ceneco-Kepco-Salcon contract. It was a long-awaited explanation that should have been done even before the contract had been inked.

Still, it's about time that the Ceneco president should be heard. We seem to have ourselves dinned the criticisms by the former Ceneco board chairmen with Montelibano reduced, temporarily of course, to silence. That gave rise to suspicions about the contract.

But as I myself had pointed out earlier, the National Power Corporation had issued a certification to Ceneco that they cannot commit the available capacity to supply the energy requirements of the Cooperative for 2011 to 2020.

And this certification was issued by NPC to Ceneco. And no new power plants of commercial size are being built, except the Kepco-Salcon one in Cebu.

Although the geothermal plant in Mailum, Bago City, is reportedly producing 20 megawatts, the promised 20 megawatts additional that could be generated remains in the realm of a promise.

Even then, Montelibano said, "As soon as the Bago PNOC geothermal plant can assure that the 20 megawatt can be generated, "We will immediately discuss this option with them as soon as they have enough power to sell."

In short, as Bob points out, one just cannot contract for something that is not there yet.

Yes, Montelibano also claimed that public hearings were conducted on the Kepco-Salcon contract last September 13-14 at the L'Fisher Hotel by the Energy Regulatory Commission.

Ceneco, Montelibano points out, will procure its capacity from the Negros-based plants for the NPC portion, i.e. Palinpinon.

And, regarding the environmentalists' claims that coal-powered plants are polluting, Montelibano declared that the circulating fluidized bed combustion technology is the one that will be used by the Kepco-Salcon plant. It is the newest technology which has been proven to be compliant with international environmental standards. He cited that 1,300 CFBC units are currently operating the world, with 170 in the US. There are also the 200 MW Donghae CFBC power plant in Korea and the 7,200 MW Elcho CFBC power plant in Poland.

The Kepco-Salcon project has also an ECC from the DENR.

I still have a lot of questions I intend Montelibano to explain. But that should be for later.

***

Normally, I don't go for ghost stories. Haunted house are dime a dozen tales.

But Sunday, Fred Cabuang, a member of the Board of the Solfed, and our secretary showed us some incredible evidence that there are unexplained events that, to a certain extent, confirm these tales.

Dr. Joey Dacudao, a Gaston descendant, had deposited Fred and our secretary Eilen, at the Gaston residence in Silay City. This was to let them see the ancestral home of the Gastons. But Joey did not inform Fred about the talk about the "hunted house."

Fred, who is a linguistic professor, later recounted us these stories of strange experiences.

Actually, you might say, both of them presented us with the cellphone photos which Eilen had taken inside the Gaston residence. One showed a picture of a bosomy bikini-clad woman but with something else protruding below. Then, there was the picture of Eilen she had taken but showed only her body sans her head.

"I saw Eilen shot the picture facing the mirror. But when we examined the photos, I immediately noticed that her head was missing. Very strange, pointed out Prof. Cabuang.

Well, I have heard several such stories. But Dr. Dacudao only then confirmed about the tales of the haunted house. That's the reason why he said that nobody actually resides in the house. The caretakers have their abode in a different place inside the compound. "And it is because they are afraid of going up the old house because it is haunted," was how he described the Gaston residence.

A neurologist or neuro-surgeon from the UP-PGH, Dr. Dacudao is not expected to believe in these things. But, as he pointed out, there are just things which, for the moment, defy explanations.

***

Kudos to Rep. Monico Puentevella for taking a steady stand against the entry of the Small Town Lottery in Bacolod.

I guess Bishop Vicente Navarra must be elated at the knowledge that among the officials of Bacolod, Newks remains steadfast against STL. He claims that posture dates back to his days as councilor of the city.*

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