In a recent statement, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said that the Philippines’ commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) hinges on the active involvement and collaboration of the private sector. Balisacan underscored the importance of expertise, resources, and innovation of companies like the Alsons Power Group to address pressing social and environmental challenges.
“Power is an important additional driver for (the) economy and I think this is also much related with sustainable development (through) for renewable energy because if we don’t get those sustainable development initiatives with the help of the private sector, (we) might as well kiss goodbye to our aim to grow the economy rapidly. So we need all these drivers, and we need strong support from the private sector,” Balisacan said.
On September 7, a delegate of more than fifty NEDA key personnel led by Balisacan along with his executive committee and regional directors visited Alsons Power’s 210-megawatt (MW) Sarangani Energy Baseload Plant located in the Kamanga Agro-Industrial Economic Zone (KAIEZ) in Maasim town. The visit was organized as part of NEDA’s management committee project site, aimed at fostering closer ties with industries in the SocSKSarGen Region.
Former Sarangani Governor and current VP for Operations of the Alsons Agri-Business Unit Miguel Rene Dominguez took the lead in hosting the facility visit. Joining Dominguez were Alsons Power’s Senior Vice President for Business Development & Marketing Joseph Nocos and Vice President and Business Manager for PBU Operations Jose Luis Angco. KAIEZ Estate Manager Neil Cachuela also seized the opportunity to deliver a thorough and insightful overview of the ecozone’s current state and future prospects.
Balisacan commended the Alcantara-led company for effectively integrating its business operations with the broader goals of sustainable development. As an economic driver, Balisacan added that Alsons Power fulfills a crucial role as it ensures a sufficient supply of power to the markets it serves, all while maintaining a steadfast commitment to ecological sustainability.
“Of course, I have a perspective that the economy is driven by the private sector, not government because it could not do competitive business for that matter…. the incentives are very much different,” Balisacan added. “The government’s job is to provide a good ecosystem so that the private sector could do better… we need strong coordination, collaboration and partnership. I hope my regional directors (with me) here would take the lessons here (at Alsons Power)… I would like to learn more about the projects here (in Maasim), particularly the group’s energy transition (to renewables) and how it could blend with other objectives of poverty reduction, transforming (the) economy and so on.”
In an official statement, Alsons Power emphasized its commitment to environmental responsibility, highlighting its consistent efforts to reduce the ecological impact of its conventional power plants. Currently, Alsons Power has a portfolio of three power facilities with an aggregate capacity of 413 Megawatts (MW) serving over eight million people in 14 cities and 11 provinces in Mindanao. These power facilities include the 103-MW Mapalad Power Corporation (MPC) diesel plant in Iligan City; the Western Mindanao Power Corporation’s (WMPC) 100-MW diesel plant in Zamboanga City; and the 210-MW Sarangani Energy Corporation (SEC) baseload coal-fired power plant in Maasim, Sarangani Province.
The company now sets its sights on achieving a roughly 60:40 ratio of renewable to non-renewable capacity balance across its portfolio. The Siguil Hydro Power Corporation, now currently making remarkable strides in the development of its 14.5 Megawatt (MW) hydroelectric station in Maasim town, is the first of the group’s plans to deploy about 200 MWs of hydroelectric power and 400 MWs of solar energy across various regions, with a primary focus on Mindanao and some areas of Visayas.
