“MORE Power is a reliable partner of the city government for the development of the city.” – Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry Treñas
We agree. The stark contrast with the previous distribution utility is quite obvious.
Let’s talk about capital investment. MORE Power started with P1.9 billion in Emergency Capital Expenditures when it took over as Iloilo City’s power distribution utility back in 2020. Just recently it announced an additional P1.1 billion investment for modernization, bringing the company’s investment to P3 billion.
While almost a century under the previous distribution utility, have we heard anything of that sort of investment for Iloilo City? None that I recall of.
I suppose we have to talk about a slight inconvenience that happened on July 6, 2022 which started at exactly, 6:56 a.m.:
The whole franchise area of MORE Power experienced an unscheduled power interruption due to power supply deficiency brought about by the tripping off of power plants which was caused by the tripping off of NGCP’s 30MVAR shunt reactor in Bacolod Substation. This unscheduled power interruption affected not only MORE Power but also all the distribution utilities in Panay and Bacolod. Although the transmission services were restored by 10:02 a.m., synchronization of affected power plants to the grid was needed which took a while causing shortage in power supply. By 8 p.m. of the same day all substations of MORE Power were back online.
And we leave that behind and talk more about progressive stuff.
Mayor Jerry Treñas acknowledges MORE Power’s “improved” services despite a slight increase in its power rate.
Last June, customers of MORE Power paid an additional 47 centavos per kilowatt-hour (kWh). The increase was due to approval of the power firm’s provisional authority to recover their P1-billion emergency capital expenditures (capex).
The amount was used to rehabilitate the obsolete and delapidated facilities inherited by MORE Power from the city’s previous power distribution utility.
MORE Power also attributed the increase to higher prices of electricity from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market as the global cost of fuel and coal continues to go up.
Despite this minimal increase MORE Power still has the cheapest rate in the country.
Mayor Treñas is still all praises for the city’s “reliable partner”. According to him: “The lower rate coupled with the efficient services is one of the things that help big Iloilo City to attract investors to come like the Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) and real estate companies.”
“We all feel the improved services of MORE Power,” he added.
From a consumer group:
“With continued improvements on the services of MORE Power, the frequencies of brownouts were significantly reduced. Hence, the 47 centavos increase from its current rate is quite reasonable,” said Halley Alcarde, Koalisyon Bantay Kuryente president.
Still another consumer group has this to say:
“Considering the need to improve existing facilities in the light of the current global crisis, we at Grupo Konsumidor are of the view that a rate increase of 47 centavos per kWh by More Power is deemed reasonable under the circumstances,” said lawyer Eldrid Antiquiera, Grupo Konsumidor president.
And finally, we segue to MORE Power as a good corporate citizen of “I Am Iloilo City”:
MORE Power continuously pursues its mission for the Ilonggos not just through its core mandate of providing the best power distribution service but also supporting Iloilo City achieve its overall goal through the company’s sustainable environmental protection and preservation efforts.
This time around, MORE Power’s, third party security personnel led the clean-up drive. Instead of their usual firearms, the Stelsen security force had broomsticks and sacks and trooped to Villa Beach, Calaparan and Arevalo early last Saturday morning.
This project “Guardians of the Environment” is just one of the environmental initiatives that MORE Power actively implements for our communities. That day’s activity focused on the theme “A greener earth, one community at a time.”
MORE Power’s volunteers from the Security force collected debris and trash along the coastline of Villa beach. Hours after, they were able to gather 15 sacks of garbage.
According to MORE Power’s Head of Security, Mr. Rudin Tunting, they want to be part of every community service of the company and become role models in their communities and families.
“Everyone has a role to play in our society, but looking after Mother Nature is everyone’s responsibility,” Tunting said.
The Security team is not only responsible for securing the facilities and offices of MORE Power but also apprehending power pilferers.
Employees and contractors of MORE Power regularly conduct clean-up drives, tree planting activities, and releasing fish fingerlings at the Iloilo River as part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility.
Indeed, a reliable partner for “I Am Iloilo City”./PN
