Climate Change Commissioner Heherson Alvarez yesterday said Negros Occidental should opt to become a totally green energy province, which would bring the cost of power down on the long term and further hasten economic growth.

Alvarez, who has returned to Manila after figuring in a vehicular accident in Murcia, Negros Occidental Tuesday, said ensuring a carbon-free Negros Occidental is possible with a governor like Alfredo Maranon Jr., who is very imaginative.

Negros Occidental has the capacity to produce power from bagasse at its sugar mills, on top of its geothermal and solar capacity, Alvarez noted.

Alvarez, a former senator and environment secretary, cited the bagasse biomass co-generation power plant of First Farmers Holding Corp.

Negros Occidental has the capacity to produce cheaper green energy that will draw in investors, instead of relying on expensive power fueled by imported coal and oil, whose prices rely on fluctuating foreign exchange rates, he said.

Alvarez, 75, his executive assistant Bernadette Felix, 50, and Raffy Taguihanon, 35, were hurt when the Mitsubishi Montero they were riding  driven by John Ci-0, 38, rammed into the side of a parked truck in Purok Tangke, Barangay Pandanon Silos, Murcia, 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, the police said.

Alvarez, Felix, and Taguihanon were rushed to the Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital in Bacolod City. The driver was unharmed.

Alvarez and Felix yesterday said they were X-rayed, and underwent CT scans and ultrasound tests and were found negative for internal injuries. Although they were discharged Wednesday, they said they were still having pain problems.

Alvarez said he still was suffering from pain in his ribs and had to sit at a certain angle for relief. His ribs hurt when he sneezes, he added.

His doctors in Bacolod, whom he described as very good, gave him painkillers and told him that the pain in his ribs will last for about 5 days, Alvarez said.

Despite the pain, Alvarez was set to deliver the keynote address at the national convention of the Philippine Society of Ventilating Air Conditioning Refrigerating Engineers in Metro Manila last night.

The members of the group he is addressing are vital in helping eliminate carbon gasses, he said.

Alvarez said he was on the way to San Carlos City to visit its solar farm when he met an accident in Murcia. He said it was his fault because he told the driver to drive fast as he wanted to return to Bacolod on the same afternoon.

The driver tried to avoid a motorcycle with two passengers on board and instead hit a parked truck, he added.

He probably was saved because Allah is watching over him or because bad grass does not die easy, Alvarez quipped.

Alvarez said he still intends to return to Negros to visit the San Carlos solar farm.

Felix yesterday said that, although the tests conducted on her did not show any internal damage, she was still suffering from pains, especially in the back. She sustained a bump in the back of her head and had bit her tongue on impact, she said.

She said they found out later that their driver is not from Negros and is not familiar with its roads. He was driving very fast, he would even overtake at blind spots and curves, she said.

It is a good thing their vehicle first hit the tires of the parked truck and not the center, or it could have gone under instead of being thrown back to the middle of the road, she said.

When she saw the white inflated airbags, the rays of the sun coming through and smoke after the accident, she thought she was already in heaven, Felix said.

Felix said she was taking a rest and was at home but her boss, Alvarez, was already back at work yesterday.*     

back to top