Bobby Cericos, the man I so admire. Welcome to Tubag Bohol. We're happy you are here.
Sir Bob, a renowned Filipino architect whose principles and concepts have captured the attention of World Bank executives, is an ABS-CBN Bayani Awardee for his exemplary works as chairman of the Special People Inc. Foundation.
Salamat Sir Bob for posting your thoughts here in Tubag Bohol. I miss our endless coffee talks.
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Let me share with you this news item I wrote in January 2006.
Group against acquisition of Loboc water rights, fears tourism setbackA group of Loboc residents has filed an opposition manifesto before the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) to the water rights application of Sta. Clara International Corporation, who had acquired from government the 120-megawatt Loboc Hydroelectric Plant (LHP).
The United Lobocanons for Reconstruction (ULR) said they were shocked of Sta. Clara's move which they learned from a news report of the Bohol Chronicle.
"Were it not for the newspaper report, the application in question as well as the proceedings thereon by the (NWRB) would have gone unnoticed by the Boholanos and the prospective oppositors," said Engineer Petronilo Sarigumba, ULR president, in an opposition paper filed before the NWRB Manila.
"It (the acquisition) should have gone the same way as the sale of the Loboc Hydroelectric Plant which came without the knowledge of the Boholano community," Sarigumba, through lawyer Artemio Cabatos, said.
At US $1.42 million, Sta. Clara silently bought the power plant on July 14, 2005, and
the entire Boholano community, except for one or two provincial officials,
was not aware of the transaction.
The Loboc plant, considered a "modest asset," was the fourth power generation asset of the government that was privatized, in line with Republic Act No. 9136, or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA).
Roberto "Bobby" Cericos, chairman of the Special People Inc. Foundation (SPIF), told the Chronicle that he prompted the filing of the opposition manifesto after reading an item of the Chronicle.
"The application for water rights was done silently, and the public did not know about until it came out in the paper," Cericos said. "We have reasons to doubt."
"The people may not be aware of the extent of the negative impact of Sta. Clara's move once it has acquired the water rights," he said. "It may be too late before we make any concrete move."
There are reports that if Sta. Clara acquired the water rights of the Loboc River, the corporation could use that right in controlling the tourism activities of the town. Loboc River has been popular here and abroad for its pristine water and splendid tour package.
Cericos questioned why Sta. Clara is bent on acquiring the water rights when it is clear that its acquisition of the power plant is only limited to power generation asset.
In the manifesto, ULR said that what was covered by the alleged sale of the Loboc Hydroelectric Plant unto and in favor of Sta. Clara Corporation is but "the power generation asset."
"The contract," the group said, "did not include, as it could not legally include, water permit or water rights which cannot lawfully be covered by the asset privatization program of government."
ULR pointed out that the acquisition by Sta. Clara of power plant was "fraught with legal infirmities" "Sta. Clara Corporation is not lawfully entitled to any Water Right or Water Permit," the group said.
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