GMA cites Negros edge,
urges investors to come
BY CARLA GOMEZ

MAILUM, Bago City - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday called on investors to come to Negros Occidental that has all the infrastructure in place to become competitive, citing its having an abundance of geothermal energy, the potential to produce ethanol and a new airport in Silay City.

"I hope the people of Bacolod and Negros Occidental will feel the blessings of development," said Arroyo, who was here for the commissioning of the P8 billion Philippine National Oil Company-Energy Development Corporation's Northern Negros Geothermal Power Plant. It is the country's first merchant power plant to be operated under a deregulated power system.

It has energy
self-sufficiency potential: Lotilla

BAGO CITY - Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said yesterday that, with the commissioning of the Northern Negros Geothermal Power Plant and the future operations of the bio-ethanol plant in San Carlos City, Negros Island, now has all the elements for energy independence.

Lotilla, who was among the officials who came here for the switch-on of the 49-megawatt geothermal plant of the PNOC-Energy Development Corp., said that if, in theory, Negros becomes isolated, it can stand alone with its own power supply. "This is good news for Negros. (It) has the best chance of becoming an energy self-sufficient and energy independent island," he said.

He added: "This island is lucky, it has all the elements for energy independence. Other islands don't have geothermal or biofuel. The people of Negros should take care of these natural resources."

'Ethanol to
save RP P30B'
BY CARLA GOMEZ

MAILUM, Bago City - "There is a new paradigm that is being proposed to open new lands for agriculture so that we can give farmers a chance to have their own land and yet avoid all this bloodshed that is happening (in the implementation of land reform)," President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said yesterday.

The president was responding to a question here on whether the government would review its policies on the implementation of land reform to prevent further bloodshed, and if she thinks that the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program should be implemented beyond 2008.