Hataman and private power firm craft energy development deal

COTABATO CITY -- The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the SMC Global Power Corporation on Wednesday agreed to cooperate in joint energy projects needed to improve the ARMM’s fledgling economy.ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman and the firm’s chief executive officer, Ramon Ang, signed an agreement detailing bilateral cooperation in addressing the power needs in all of the region’s five provinces and two component cities.Engineer Don Loong, ARMM’s public works secretary, said Hataman and Ang forged the agreement Wednesday in Metro Manila. This is another vote of confidence and a direct support to the present ARMM administration’s reform and development initiatives in the autonomous region,” Loong said.The Global Power is engaged in generation of electricity using coal, natural gas and hydroelectric plants. The firm operates as a subsidiary of the San Miguel Corporation.While there has been a dramatic increase in investments in the autonomous region in the past three years, many domestic prospective investment sites still lack electricity needed to sustain potential industries. We were made to understand that this firm wants to help ARMM in keeping with its corporate social responsibility commitment. We are thankful to the SMC Global Power Corporation,” Loong said. Mr. Ang believes in integrated businesses that takes care of the environment and provides sustainable livelihood for communities,” Loong said. The Hataman administration has spent P37 billion for various infrastructures in the autonomous region from 2012 to 2015 to improve the area’s investment climate, still reeling from the adverse impact of armed conflicts and calamities.Loong said the region now about 1,500 kilometers of newly-concreted and rehabilitated old roads, new seaports and water supply facilities. What we in the region need now are power facilities and more investments for various businesses,” Loong said.Hataman said the crafting of a development cooperation deal between the ARMM government and the Global Power complements their effort to encourage capitalists to venture into fish canning, rubber and seaweed processing projects in the region.Functions and powers of the Department of Energy are not devolved to the ARMM. This support from a respectable private power generation entity is a big help to people in the autonomous region,” Hataman said.The ARMM covers Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, which are both in mainland Mindanao, and the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. The Global Power has P200 billion worth of different power plants in the country.Wednesday’s crafting of the agreement between the Global Power and the ARMM government was witnessed by Loong, Regional Natural Resources Secretary Kahal Kedtag, lawyer Ishak Mastura of the Regional Board of Investments, Rasol Mitmug, Jr, who is Hataman’s chief-of-staff, and Mayor Ibrahim Ibay of Parang, Maguindanao.