MANILA, Philippines? (UPDATE) The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) on Wednesday recommended that a state of calamity be declared in Mindanao in light of the power crisis being experienced in the region.

Defense Secretary and NDCC chief Norberto Gonzales said he expects President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to agree to the agency?s recommendation and issue a proclamation as soon as possible.

?After listening to the DOE (Department of Energy) and our Pagasa (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration), I think it?s really necessary that we declare a state of calamity in Mindanao, so we are recommending to the President that we will be declaring a state of calamity in Mindanao,? Gonzales told reporters after an emergency meeting held at the NDCC headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo.

"We expect that she will sign this the moment she sees it," he added.

Gonzales explained that the declaration would authorize the DOE to pursue measures that would address the shortage in supply of electricity, even without the intervention of Congress, which is on recess.

Mindanao has been experiencing rotating brownouts due to low water levels in its hydroelectric plants brought about by the long dry spell.

?What we are trying to do now is address the problem of power shortages in Mindanao and these brownouts,? Gonzales said.

A Mindanao official, however, said that the declaration would not allow the government to do everything like purchasing generators and power barges since only the private sector can do it.

?We cannot buy generators, it can only be the private sectors that can probably do something about this, that?s why Secretary Reyes is meeting with the private sector group in Davao, the Mindanao electric power alliance, and the Mindanao Business Council tomorrow because they will make a proposal to the DOE about the possibility of the private sector taking creative action, immediate action, said Jesus Dureza, newly-appointed chairman of the Mindanao Development Authority.

When asked if they included in their recommendation a specific period for the implementation of the state of calamity, Gonzales said, ?We did not put any duration, but the moment it gets normalize we have other sources that will make sure that power source in Mindanao will be stable then that will be the time.?