Poor infra, lack of water bug bizmen

By Debra Magallon-Estero



ACKNOWLEDGING Cebu's potential as an investment destination, the Cebu Business Club (CBC) this year will focus its activities that will help address infrastructure and water supply problems.

"Cebu is a good investment destination but is suffering from lack of infrastructure, and this is a serious problem," CBC president Dondi Joseph told reporters Monday after a press conference announcing the holding of presidential forum hosted by Cebu's three major business groups this month.

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Aside from the rundown roads in Cebu, one of the most critical concerns that need to be addressed is the water supply in Cebu, Joseph said.

He said he recently talked to Manila Water Company Inc. president Rene Almendras who told him that considering the onset of another El Nino this year, Cebu is expected to have little rainfall this year or even even less than it had last year.

"(With this) Cebu's water supply is critical in the next three years," Joseph said.

Aside from the water situation, the CBC will also continue to promote sustainable development and reiterate its stand on clean coal technology as the next best alternative to address Cebu's power conditions.

But Joseph said the club will also continue its call to the Department of Energy (DOE) to allow the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (Wesm) in the Visayas to start its operations.

Last week, CBC released to media its official statement on the power situation in Cebu following an energy and environment summit it organized last month.

In its position paper, the CBC called for the "immediate implementation" of Wesm and for DOE and the National Economic Development Authority (Neda) to "immediately conduct a formal study of Cebu's future power requirements."

Within the first quarter of 2010, CBC will also organize a forum on urban planning and infrastructure while in the latter part of the year, the group will organize a talk focusing on the reproductive health bill and education.


Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on January 13, 2010.