ILOILO City — MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) president and chief executive officer Roel Castro said that competition in electric distribution ultimately favors consumers.
This was Castro’s response to recent claims from an Iloilo power cooperative that no Southeast Asian country allows competing distribution utilities.
“I think that’s accurate. But there’s one — here in the Philippines,” Castro said in a press conference on Friday, December 5, noting that while overlapping franchises are unusual, lawmakers allowed them because “you cannot actually innovate and change for the better if everything stays the same.”
He added that the company’s focus is on service quality, not rivalry.
“If you may call it a competition, yes. But at the end of the day, if we can give this type of service here in Iloilo — not perfect, but good enough that residents, business owners, and city officials acknowledge the improvement — then why not offer it outside Iloilo City in the most legal way?” he said. “If that pushes others to improve, I’m fine with that. In the end, the consumers win.”
The discussion comes after 1st District’s Rep. Janette Garin filed House Bill No. 6292 seeking to expand MORE Power’s franchise into seven municipalities in her district. Garin argued that MORE Power’s performance in Iloilo City — from lowering electricity rates to modernizing facilities and growing its customer base — shows the benefits of competition.
She also cited the Constitution’s provision that public utility franchises must not be exclusive, saying, “Public interest will be better served if Ilonggos in the 1st District are given a choice.”
Last week, Iloilo Electric Cooperative III General Manager James Balsomo questioned proposals for overlapping utilities, arguing that such competition is absent across Southeast Asia and not financially viable for distribution networks.
Castro countered that the Philippines is already an exception, and the outcome will be measured by consumer satisfaction if MORE Power’s entry proceeds./PN