Aquino opens Davao coal plant, vows to leave Mindanao in better situation

MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III on Friday vowed to leave Mindanao in a better situation when he steps down in June.

"Rest assured, we will fulfill our promise to leave Mindanao in a better situation,” President Aquino said in his speech during the inauguration of the 300-megawatt Davao Baseload Power Plant that the Aboitiz Power Corp. put up in Davao.

Aquino said the power plant is part of his administration’s commitment to transform Mindanao from the "land of promise" to the "land of promises fulfilled.”

The president also assured Mindanao residents of the government’s commitment to peace, and vowed that the administration will focus spending on infrastructure development “so that those who have historically been left behind are given a boost so that they can catch up.”

"I am certain that, if we continue working together — both public and private sector alike— we can truly give rise to a Mindanao that reaches its full potential, and prove, once more, that nothing is impossible to a united Filipino people,” he said.

Aquino thanked Aboitiz Power Corp. and Therma South Inc. ”for being an early believer in the potential of Mindanao.”

"When this plant becomes fully operational, we can count on it to consistently produce 300 megawatts of baseload power, which means that this capacity can be tapped into anytime, rain or shine, with very minor fluctuations,” he said.

Aquino said he is a believer in the development of renewable energy but the country cannot completely remove its dependence on coal.