They Honor Us! They Challenge Us
The Timbaban Hydropower project is now approved in the House of Representatives, announced Congressman Florencio T. Miraflores, author of the bill. "The bill with other supporting documents are now being readied for the submission to the Senate by Monday, or Tuesday," added Miraflores.
Miraflores is very optimistic that his bill will be approved into law before the 13th Congress adjourns next year. According to Miraflores, the PNOC which is the implementor of the project is now ready to start the project. There is no problem as to the source of fund for there are some finances from other countries," Miraflores said. He cited the Japanese, Koreans, and even Spaniards who are interested to finance the Timbaban project.
If this project is implemented, it is estimated that it will be operational in three years. It will then revolutionize the energy industry in Aklan.
Timbaban is estimated to produce enough power for Aklan and supply the needs of adjacent provinces. It will bring down the price of electricity, industrialize the province and no more brown out.
Should Timbaban hydropower operate, the Mirant/Global EPPA will become obsolete and must be rescinded.
-o-
I got hold of a copy of "Farming and Management of Gracilaria" produced by BFAR, Region 6, Iloilo City. Among others, the brochure gave a brief description of what Gracilaria is. It also gave give ecological requirements for Gracilaria farming such as water, salinity, temperature, ph value, water movement, substrate and nutrients.
It also gave the potentials for Gracilaria farming, the methods of production and harvesting. It also discussed post-harvest management and storage.
The brochure provided how much is needed to invest for a 2,500 square meters of Gracilaria pond such as for fishnet and working capital for a total of P7,050. For seedlings, it cost P5,400.00 for seven (7) crops.
According to the "costs and returns of Gracilaria farming," the first crop net return will be P2,450.00 on the assumption of 7,500 kilograms yield at 10:1 wet : dry ratio sold at P10 per kilo of 750 kilograms dry. For the succeeding 2nd – 8th croppings, the gross returns will be P52,500. The brochure also showed the total expenses for the eight Gracilaria crops which are P60,000. If the cost of production is subtracted, the grower will net P49,550 at a rate of return of investment of 474.2 percent.
I asked during the presentation, how much is the cost of labor? It is not stated in the costs return analysis. Nobody answered, except "we will compute for it."
Is the exclusion of labor cost in the costing of production a disclaimer of fisherfolks’ effort? His labor must be recognized, it must be given value and be counted.
Did we forget a course in economics, specifically about the factors of production? Is labor or man a factor of production? If yes, why is labor cost not included in the cost of production of Gracilaria? Let us count the farmers and fisherfolks’ participation in agriculture and fishery production.
Should anyone interested to invest in Gracilaria production, we cannot answer his question as far as labor cost is concerned. Our specialists failed to include its costs as factor of production.
-o-
This column wishes to thank wholeheartedly Prof. Methuselah Santamaria and her literature students at NVC and Santo Niño Seminary, the NVC management headed by its president, Atty. Allen S. Quimpo for the tribute given me and four other writers of Aklan.
The "Pen Moves. . ." is anchored on the quotation, "Reading makes a man broad, Writing makes a man EXACT" - Quebral.
The project is the first ever held in Aklan to honor its writers. It is a very important project worth doing yearly.
We were honored, we were challenged. Thank you. . ! Thank you. . .! /MP mailto:madyaas_pen@yahoo.com
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