ILOILO – In the recent Power Utilities round table discussion initiated by the Iloilo Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion (LEDIP), Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. met and asked for the inputs of power utilities considering that the power sector is one of the four major fundamentals for the economic growth of the province.
“We are positioning the province for growth and investment under our mantra which is more progress in Iloilo. It is a movement for the resurgent, progressive, globally competitive, and resilient province,” Governor Defensor said.
Present in the forum were the power utilities operating in the province of Iloilo namely: Iloilo Electric Cooperatives 1, 2 and 3, MORE Electric and Power Corporation, Palm Concepcion Power Corp., and Global Business Power.
The utility companies presented their plans, current infrastructures, substations and facilities’ locations, and energy load capacities.
The LEDIP already identified the zones with huge development growth potentials like Pavia and Santa Barbara towns because of their proximity to the Iloilo Airport and the seaport of Dumangas.
“We are positioning the province for investments. In more practicality, we want to create a growth area. It will be strategically located, with reference to our Iloilo international airport with our Dumangas port, which we intend to expand in the next few years,” Defensor stressed.
With the information provided by the power utilities, the governor said that this will equipped his office in answering investors coming into the province,
“So that when we promote the province, we are talking to our investors in the most concrete and practical terms,” said Defensor.
MORE THAN PREPARED
Ready to implement its expansion in the province, MORE Power presented its plans before the stakeholders.
According to Roel Castro, president and chief executive officer of MORE Power, in addition to the 30/36 MVA substation in Megaworld that will serve the load requirement of Pavia, they will also put up brand new and state-of-the-art substations in Santa Barbara and Dumangas with a load capacity of 30/36MVA and 15/25MVA, respectively. These are the areas being considered as economic corridors of the province.
In addition, MORE Power will also put up substations in Passi City, San Miguel and Anilao with an overall dependable capacity of 130MVA.
Brand new and reliable distribution network facilities and vehicles will be put in place in the 15 municipalities and Passi City within five years from the effectivity of MORE
Power’s franchise expansion law.
Castro assured Defensor and LEDIP that the private power distribution utility is capable of implementing those projects.
“We have the available financial resources to fund Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) to immediately address the growing demand,” Castro said./PN
