Buluan, Maguindanao
July 22, 2016
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte led the inspection of the first commercial biomass power plant in the country that will utilize by-products from the palm oil mill process at Brgy. Poblacion, Buluan in Maguindanao.
President Duterte checked the facilities of the 5-MW Buluan Biomass Power Plant including the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) generator, capacitor bank, 35-metric ton water tube steam boiler, power generator, power control, economizer and pollution abatement equipment, water scrubber, fiber storage building, and material handling area, respectively.
Green Earth Enersource Corporation (GEEC) Chairman Lim Chan Lok, GEEC President Rene Lastimoso, and members of the Mangudadatu family accompanied the President. Undertaken by GEEC, the plant will benefit communities in the vicinity of the municipality of Buluan and will be commercially operational at the end of the year.
After the inspection, Duterte expressed his gratitude to the people for helping him win the presidency, and added that Maguindanao is one of his priorities.
“Alam mo kasi ang priority ko ‘tong Maguindanao pati ang Sultan Kudarat. You know why? Sa statistics, you’re the highest incidence of hunger… Maybe you are short of everything but not food. Mahirap ‘yan – gutom. I am happy that Manny Piñol had decided to pour another Php 300M for you here,” he said during his speech.
The President also stressed his firm stand in attaining peace and his repugnance towards war and conflict.
“I will repeat the statement because it will affect all. It will impact dito sa lahat ng puso ng taong Pilipino. If we cannot stop fighting, do not add hate everyday to the hate that is already there… We have to talk. Hindi sa buong panahon magpapatayan tayo. Until when? Sa apo ng apo ko? Is that what we want? But there is chance that maybe we can talk about peace,” he explained.
In the presence of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) central committee members, the President expressed his support for the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).
“Mga mahal kong kapatid, MILF, my salute to your cause. Tama ‘yan. I agree with your cause…Nauna kayo dito and there was this historical justice. We would like to correct it. And I said that if there’s a chance for the BBL now, okay sa akin. Let us remove for a while the contentious issue,” he said.
He added that if the administration will successfully implement the federal set-up of government, BBL would be included in the federal constitution. “I love you. I want you to enjoy everything in life,” he concluded.
Present during the occasion were Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, Mayor Ibrahim Mangudadatu, Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, Mayor Bai Lorena Mangudadatu, Mayor Freddie Mangudadatu, Assemblyman Khadafeh Mangudadatu, and GEEC officials and employees.
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