SISON, Pangasinan November 12 – The continuing prevalence of high cost of power is depriving the country of an added one percent growth in the economy thereby depriving Filipinos with inclusive growth, former 5th district Rep. Mark Cojuangco said here recently.
The former lawmaker said the country’s economy is currently valued at P14 trillion and one percent of it would be equivalent to P140 billion which could mean a lot in uplifting the living condition of people once power cost will be reduced by approximately 50 percent.
“Let us not discuss the bad things that will still happen to us but let us ponder on the bad things that had already happened to us because of the government’s inability to provide people with cheap , reliable, quality and environmentally-friendly power,” Cojuangco stressed.
He pointed out reducing the country’s power cost from P10 per kilowatthour to only P5 or even less would translate to a one percent increase in the economy that could contribute in having available resources for the implementation of development projects and the enhancement of the delivery of basic services to the people on the ground.
According to Cojuangco, the country had been losing an average of one precent in economic growth over the past thirty years that could have meant a lot in improving the urban centers and provide descent living for the people so that the rural areas could be brought back to nature.
Cojuangco challenged concerned government agencies to continue working out the provision of cheap power to the Filipinos so that they will be able to realize increased growth in the economy 8instead of losing such opportunities to be able to uplift the living condition of poor people in the countryside.
Cojuangco, who is an advocate for nuclear power as the best way to provide Filipinos with cheap power, cited that it is high time for people to be open-minded about the proposal so that they will fully understand the benefits of being able to have cheap electricity.
He added being an advocate of nuclear power does not mean that plants will already be built but instead it is still best to start intelligent discussions on the possibility of the country having an operational nuclear power plant in the future.
He claimed one of the best things that must be done by the government is to provide people with descent living in the urban centers to allow the rural areas to be left for preservation and protection so that the state of the environment will be maintained and there will still be something left for mother nature.
Cojuangco claimed that what had been inculcated in the minds of the people is the fear against the serious negative effects of nuclear power but what has not been publicly discussed about it is its significant effects in providing the whole country with clean, quality and reliable power to sustain the country’s economic growth.