Visayas’ power
gets P40B boost
BY CARLA GOMEZ

TAIWAN – The Visayas power grid will get an additional 294-megawatt boost next year when coal power plants in Iloilo and Cebu worth P40 billion begin operations, Ed Satina, Global Business Power Corp. assistant vice president from commercial operations, said Saturday.

Last year Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes raised fears that if no new plants were built, amid opposition from environment groups, the Visayas could suffer a power shortage.

Cebu Energy Development Corp., whose consortium partners are Global Formosa Power Holdings Inc. and Abovant Holding Inc.,  is building a 246 MW circulating fluidized bed clean coal-fired power plant with three 82 megawatt units worth P22 billion  in Barangay Sangi, Toledo City, in Cebu, expected to be operational in 2010, said Satina, concurrent CEDC commercial manager.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines is raising fees and charges at the new Iloilo and Bacolod-Silay airports.

Passengers will have to pay a terminal fee of P200 from the current P30 effective February 4, Bacolod-Silay Airport manager Antonio Alfonso said yesterday.

Alfonso said the increase was being implemented following public hearings held in Silay and Iloilo last year.

Dancers clad in black lit up the main highway of Bacolod City during the street dancing lantern competition Saturday of the 4th BacoLaodiat Festival.

Ten groups traced Lacson Street going towards the Capitol Shopping Center from the Bacolod public plaza with lighted ball-shaped and lotus-like lanterns as upbeat Chinese songs played.

Meanwhile, the cultural program showing the coming together of Filipino and Chinese cultures was held yesterday at the Capitol Shopping Center with Fr. Noli Que leading the opening prayer. It started with a dragon dance performed by the Amity dancers following the grand parade from SM south terminal.