THE MINDANAO Development Authority (MinDA), headed by its chairperson Secretary Leo Tereso Magno, should take a firmer stance on the current power situation of Davao del Norte and the Island Garden City of Samal because it is its mandate.
We are saddened by the lukewarm stance of MinDA to simply mediate in the rift between IGACOS and DOE when it can effectively create a solution to resolve Samal’s power issues through the Mindanao Power Development Program (MPDP).
We recall that at the height of the Mindanao power crisis from 2012 to 2014, MinDA’s MPDP effectively steered Mindanao to a better power situation by being the secretariat of the Mindanao Power Monitoring Committee.
Now that there is a forecast that Mindanao could be thrown into another power crisis, we believe that MinDA should be on top of the power situation of the island again before it worsens.
In the case of IGACOS, such a crisis would mean extended suffering for the consumers in the area.
NORDECO has been too arrogant and needs to be given a heavy hand in shaping up or being booted out. MinDA, being the lead agency in the development of Mindanao, has the power to pull together the agencies to fix this.
We thus call on the agency to take a more active role. Secretary Magno should not simply be “willing” to mediate; it is his mandate to help resolve the issue as the chairperson of MinDA.
Ryan Amper
Convenor
Davao Consumer Movement
