"Power, cheap power, not the kind politicians covet, is a must for national progress."

"Power, cheap power, not the kind politicians covet, is a must for national progress."

Not many people know that back in the early 70s the late Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino was already an advocate of geothermal energy. Yes, 46 years ago today on September 7, 1972, he wrote a three-part article on the subject in the Manila Times.

He wanted the government to harness "geothermal power" and called for the Commission of Volcanology (Comvol) after it successfully installed a "pilot experimental electric generator" in Cale, Tiwi, Albay to be placed under the aegis of the National Science and Development Board (now DOST).

The 2.5 kiloWatt turbine installed by the team of Comvol Chief Volcanologist Arturo Alcaraz caught the late senator's attention because of its potential to generate 500+ MWe.

Ninoy Aquino was fully aware about the Philippines' need to be "electrified" as evidenced by the constant brownouts in Metro Manila then. He averred that "electric power means lights for homes, schools and offices, and energy for farms, mills and factories" which will contribute to nation-building.

He also pointed out the pressing need because "it is even worse in the Visayas and Mindanao, more particularly in the deeper south where only the cities and a few of the bigger towns have electricity."

Thus, even during those times in the volatile days of the 1970s, Ninoy Aquino was still thinking of improving the quality of life of the Filipino people. He was far from the traitor and power-hungry politician that he was painted to be by the forces of the dictatorship years later. Alas, the declaration of Martial Law by President Ferdinand Marcos weeks later would put all of his ideas and plans in the freezer.

Among the places that were listed by Ninoy Aquino in the said article as promising for geothermal exploration and development were Mt. Malinao in Tiwi Albay, Mt. Makiling in Laguna, and Mt. Pinatubo in Zambales among others. The geothermal power plants in Tiwi and Makiling-Banahaw were realized and are part of what constitute as the Luzon Grid.

With the 1973 Global Oil Crisis taking its toll on the nation's energy situation, President Ferdinand Marcos embarked on an outside-funded nationwide energy exploration and electrification program and as they usually say, the rest is history.