ILOILO City – “Ilonggos deserve the best. Nothing more, nothing less!” So said MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power) president and chief operating officer (COO) Roel Z. Castro.
MORE Power is simply here to complement the city’s economic boom, he stressed.
“Hence, stable, reliable and inexpensive power supply is a must,” according to Castro.
Even before MORE Power came here, the management was already aware of the city’s economic status, he revealed.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) feted the city as No. 1 among the highly-urbanized cities in the country with the most improved local government unit during the annual Regional Competitiveness Summit held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City on Aug. 16, 2018.
“This award, of course, necessitates MORE Power to supplement the city’s newest battlecry: ‘Level Up, Iloilo City’ through dependable power supply,” noted Castro.
“And that is the reason why MORE Power earmarked a substantial amount for our rehabilitation and expansion endeavors to be funded under our Capital Expenditures (CAPEX) Program,” he bared.
“Not just P1 billion but P1.8 billion per se,” he clarified.
This, as Castro stressed, “We need at least P1.8 billion to rehabilitate all the bulok facilities of Panay Electric Co. (PECO).”
These include rotten poles, undersized transformers, undersized conductors, old and dilapidated substations, among others.
MORE Power started to rehabilitate and repair a number of feeders since Feb. 29, 2020.
A MUST
Castro said replacement of either “aging”, defective, damaged meters is a must.
It is within the bound of Article 29 (Obligation to Allow Inspection, Installation and Removal of Electricity Apparatus) of the Magna Carta for Residential Electricity Consumers.
In fact, MORE Power contracted four private firms to speed up the meter replacement job.
“And the meters we are using right now are those Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)-approved and calibrated ones.”
“This kind (of meters),” asserted Castro, “ensures reliability of power consumption thus helping reduce system loss.”
It has to be noted, he said, that MORE Power “will be working hard to bring down the unusually high system loss of PECO brought about by sheer neglect.”
Also, based on the latest technical findings, a total of 119 transformers were found to have “abnormally” high temperature, an indication of overloading.
MORE Power and Miescor (sister company of Meralco) conducted a technical scanning study at all the facilities and already identified the problematic areas and have come up with its rehabilitation plans.
As to the so-called “ill-considered” purchases, “It’s all talk! If PECO knows what has to be done, why is it talking only now when it doesn’t have franchise and Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) anymore. They should have done this 10 years ago,” said Castro.
‘BREAKTHROUGH’ IN ILOILO
Castro said MORE Power also partnered with the top banks, remittance and payment centers in the country for easy payment of Ilonggos’ electric bills.
These are Banco de Oro (BDO), Philippine National Bank (PNB), Robinsons’ Bank, and Land Bank of the Philippines.
RD Pawnshop, Palawan Express, LBC and SM Super Malls completed the list of payment partners.
“Because we care for the Ilonggos, we want them to pay their bills with MORE Power at their own convenience anywhere they want,” said Castro.
Over 130 payment outlets in seven districts of the city are now ready to accept payments for MORE Power bills.
“Such is another breakthrough in Iloilo City,” said Castro./PN
