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HERE are 72 transmission projects, including six Energy Projects of National Significance (EPNS) of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines that were not completed on time, but the NGCP told senators there were reasons beyond their control that caused this. Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta told lawmakers at the Senate Committee on Energy hearing on Wednesday that her office approved a total of 348 projects. Of these, 33 projects in Luzon, 19 in Visayas, and 14 in Mindanao experienced delays in implementa-
tion. On top of the 66 projects cited by the ERC, there are six more projects that are tagged significant energy projects for power generation, transmission, and/or ancillary services, including those required to maintain grid stability and security, and which are in consonance with the policy thrusts and specific goals of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Philippine Energy Plan (PEP). Among the delayed EPNS projects are the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP), originally scheduled to commence operation in December 2020; the Cebu-Negros-Panay 230 kilovolts (kV) backbone stage 3 project, originally set for completion also last December 2020; and the Her-
mosa–San Jose 500 kV transmission line project, originally set for completion in 2019.
Delays not intentional
THE NGCP, for its part, said the delays in the implementation of these projects “are not intentional.” “It is not because we don’t want to finish them. It’s because many hurdles were encountered, like right of way (ROW),” NGCP spokesperson Atty. Cynthia Alabanza explained to senators, speaking partly in Filipino. New transmission lines and expanding substation capacity are equally important as increasing power supply. Power plants generate electricity that is delivered to customers through transmission
and distribution power lines. “First of all I would like to clarify and express our apologies for the delayed projects. I wasn’t able to express it clearly, but we admit we have delayed projects. But we are doing something about it and we are hoping to energize a second one by today. We are all praying for a good result so we can give you some good news,” Alabanza said. “This does not mean that transmission never had a problem; it’s normal to have a disturbance on a day to day [basis],” she added, while agreeing with one resource person that “it’s our ability to recover and manage these glitches along the grid” that’s at stake.
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Thursday, May 25, 2023 Vol. 18 No. 220
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WASHINGTONBASED World Bank said it will continue to support the Philippines in terms of its economic development, particularly in achieving the country’s goal of attaining upper middle-income country status. In a statement, the World Bank said the recent visit of its Managing Director for Operations Anna Bjerde ended in a reaffirmation of the multilateral lender’s support to the economic development of the Philippines. Bjerde met with various government officials that included Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla, C A
BUOYS FOR ECONOMY
Passengers, among them overseas Filipino workers who play a vital role in supporting their families and the economy by sending remittances, line up at Naia Terminal 1 on Wednesday. Recent data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas highlights the significant impact of these remittances and foreign borrowings on the country's balance of payments, helping to reduce deficits. NONIE REYES
DOT EYES INT’L MICE EVENTS ‘PHL, best investment TO LIFT INBOUND TRAVEL destination in the world’ B M. S F. A
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ANILA and Cebu play host to a number of international meetings and conferences that tourism officials hope will help lift inbound arrivals this year. The biggest, so far, is Rotary International’s annual convention, where more than 25,000 members from all over the world are expected to gather on June 3 to 8 at three sites: the World Trade Center, SMX Convention Center (SMXCC), Mall of Asia Arena, and the Philippine Interntional Convention Center (PICC).
“Manila’s diverse and lively culture reflects the global mosaic of our organization, making it the ideal city for our members and participants to connect and celebrate our friendships, cultures and the kaleidoscope of experience we bring to improving lives and strengthening communities around the world,” said Rotary International president Jennifer Jones in a news statement. The 119th international convention is the first to be held in Manila. For her part, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said, “Guests will be welcomed with the legendary Filipino hospitalS “DOT,” A
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HE Philippines is the most attractive investment destination in the world, according to the biggest delegation from European Union (EU) businesses. They gave the vote of confidence in a meeting on Tuesday with House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez. At the meeting, six representatives from visiting EUAssociation of Southeast Asian Nation (EU-Asean) Business Council (EU-ABC) expressed their interest to expand EU business and trade relations with the Philippines. Romualdez welcomed the EUABC’s effort as he also informed them of the initiatives of Congress, in line with the policies of the Mar-
cos Jr. administration to “make the Philippines a more inviting host for business investments and economic activities.” “We’re here to see how can help. We would like to support, we would like to assist. We’d like to be aware of the challenges so we could address them together,” he said. For his part, Noel Clehane, global head of Regulatory & Public Policy for BDO and Board Member of EU-ABC, informed the Speaker that they have been engaging with EU lawmakers to push for a free trade agreement with the Philippines, among others. “We have been highlighting S “PHL,” A
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