OF COURSE, we should always give credit where credit is due—it’s the right thing to do. This principle was clearly demonstrated recently when the two most powerful entities in the Western Visayas power sector—specifically on Panay Island—acknowledged and commended their mutually beneficial relationship.
MORE Electric and Power Corporation, more commonly known as MORE Power, recognized the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) for installing the third circuit of the Barotac Viejo–Dingle 138kV Transmission Line. This major infrastructure project is poised to significantly enhance Panay Island’s transmission capacity.
Once completed and energized by June 2025, the new line will strengthen the island’s power grid and ensure improved reliability and stability—especially for Iloilo City.
The new transmission line will increase the capacity of the Barotac Viejo–Dingle backbone from 360 megawatts to 640 megawatts. This upgrade will help prevent overloading in case of an outage at the Panay Energy Development Corporation (PEDC) power plant in Iloilo City.
With this additional capacity, the city can expect a more stable and dependable power supply—even during unexpected disruptions.
As MORE Power president and CEO Roel Castro explained, “The new transmission line will also improve overall reliability, benefiting the consumers of MORE Power and all the electric cooperatives in Panay and Guimaras islands. This project will contribute to the overall stability and resilience of the power grid in support of our rehabilitated, uprated, and modernized distribution network.”
Furthermore, the addition of this third circuit means that a single outage will no longer cripple the system. It minimizes disruptions and ensures continuity in power distribution—a crucial improvement for both residential and industrial consumers.
The energization of the Barotac Viejo–Dingle 138kV Line 3 underscores the successful partnership between NGCP and MORE Power in strengthening the region’s power infrastructure.
Meanwhile, another noteworthy development is unfolding in the neighboring island of Bohol—one that, given the direction MORE Power is heading, could soon be replicated in “I Am Iloilo City.”
Bohol Light Company Inc.—the sole power distributor in Tagbilaran City and a member of Enrique Razon’s energy group—is set to source nearly 25% of its electricity from an 8.4-megawatt solar power project developed by Mabuhay Power. This move positions Tagbilaran as a rising leader in renewable energy across the Visayas.
Once operational, the solar farm is expected to supply a quarter of Tagbilaran’s current 31 MW demand. Bohol Light president and CEO Roel Castro stated, “This 8.4 MW facility, once injected into our distribution system, will represent 25 percent of Tagbilaran City’s energy demand. This is a big percentage and will definitely help in attracting investors. They always ask about the percentage of green energy in our system.”
Despite rising generation costs, Bohol Light continues to offer the lowest electricity rates among major distribution utilities in the Visayas. It is followed by MORE Power in Iloilo and Negros Power in Negros—both also managed by Primelectric under Enrique Razon’s power portfolio.
Given MORE Power’s progressive mindset and innovative approach to the power distribution business, it would not be surprising if similar green energy initiatives soon emerge in Iloilo City.
After all, “I Am Iloilo City” is not just the Bike Capital of the Philippines—it also boasts the cleanest urban river, one of the country’s longest linear parks (the Esplanade), and has partnered with MORE Power on sustainable mangrove reforestation and fish restocking projects in the Iloilo River.
So why not take it a step further? MORE bragging rights await with MORE Power—this time, through the adoption of solar renewable energy./PN
