LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Philippines: Southern Philippines
built 644 days ago
Electricity demand in the Philippines is expected to grow by around 9% per year through the end of the decade, necessitating as much as 10,000 MW of new installed electric capacity. Current contracts will provide about half that amount, with the remainder expected to be filled once the market deregulates. Medium-term increases in power demand are to be satisfied largely by the three gas-fired plants (Ilijan, Santa Rita, and San Lorenzo) that will be linked to the Malampaya natural gas field. The Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) began commercial operation of the 1,200-MW Ilijan plant in June 2002. KEPCO will run the plant under a build-operate-transfer scheme for 20 years, after which ownership will revert to Napocor. Minority stakeholders in the plant are Southern Energy of the United States (20%) plus Mitsubishi (21%) and Kyushu Power (8%) of Japan.
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A group of islands in southeast Asia, The Philippines enjoy a tropical marine climate. Manila is the modern-looking capital city, the result of being largely rebuilt since World War II. There are beaches, reefs and surfing shores for ocean-lovers. If you're a climber, consider ascending Mayon, in southern Luzon, which has been described as the world's most perfect volcanic cone. This 2450m (8036ft) active volcano has erupted four times since 1968, the last time in February 1993. It takes several days to climb, and guides are available for hire.
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Travellers to the Philippines are advised to avoid most of Mindanao, an island group in the southern Philippines, especially the Zamboanga peninsula, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and the Sulu archipelago, where ethnic and religious animosities fuel ongoing violence. Abu Sayyaf, a Muslim extremist group who have claimed responsibility for attacks on foreigners, operate out of this area. Military operations against the group can flare into heavy fighting.
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Violent Islamist groups in the Philippines have killed or injured more than 1,700 people in bombings and other attacks since 2000. The attacks, mostly in Mindanao, Basilan, Jolo, and other southern islands, have ... included kidnappings, executions, and shootings. This 28-page paper contains personal accounts and photographs of bombing sites and of victims of attacks and their relatives It describes how attacks have killed children, parents, husbands, and wives, and caused terrible suffering among wounded survivors and relatives. The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and the Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSM), based in the southern Philippines, are implicated in or have claimed responsibility for many of the attacks.
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Development of new natural gas projects in the Philippines has come largely at the expense of the country's struggling coal industry. PNOC's coal mining subsidiary produced 2.2 million short tons of coal in 2003. There are several small coal mines under development, mainly on the southern island of Mindanao.
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Margolis: But in the islands of the Southern Philippines, where coconuts trees flourish, coconuts used for fuel is welcome news. Farmer Rudulpho Masa says the price he can get for his coconut meat, called Copra, is already climbing in recent days.
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