ILOILO City – That it took power distributor MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power) some 13 hours of service interruption to undertake maintenance and troubleshooting activities showed its inexperience and inefficiency, according to its predecessor Panay Electric Co. (PECO).
This never happened when PECO was still the city’s power distributor, according to PECO’s head of Public Engagement and Government Affairs Marcelo Cacho in a virtual press conference yesterday.
PECO’s franchise expired last Jan. 19, 2019 yet.
Cacho particularly referred to the scheduled power interruptions in Jaro district on May 17 and at the City Proper on May 30. MORE Power conducted substation maintenance.
“The long power outages happened in the peak of summer and while residents of this city were on home quarantine due to the coronavirus disease pandemic. These brought so much inconvenience to them,” said Cacho.
Only MORE Power’s inefficient maintenance and troubleshooting could be the explanation for this, stressed Cacho, whose PECO was ironically denied by Congress of a franchise extension due to consumer complaints of poor customer relations, questionable billings, high rates, and power interruptions, too.
He scoffed at MORE Power’s blaming PECO’s supposedly ill-maintained and rotten facilities for the long brownout, pointing out that when PECO was still the city’s power distribution, there were no 13-hour power interruptions.
“Now there’s is blame game happening. MORE Power is blaming PECO and the facilities it took over three months ago yet. We did not have these kinds of outages. Now all of these things are starting to give up,” said Cacho.
MORE Power pointed out that the power distribution system it took over from PECO was extensively dilapidated and fixing them won’t be a walk in the park.
For Cacho, however, “a truly experienced power distributor would have handled the situation better.”
“The brownouts could have been averted by a more capable power distributor,” he stressed.
MORE Power is a relative newcomer in the power distribution business. President Rodrigo Duterte signed its Congress-approved franchise law (Republic Act 11212) on Feb. 14, 2019.
The people of Iloilo City do not deserve an inexperienced power distributor, said Cacho, pointing out the metro’s “bright potential.”
“We have to recognize that future, and power is very essential,” he added.
PECO was established in 1923 and served the consumers of Iloilo City for 96 years.
Its five sub-transmission line substations in as many districts (in Barangay Baldoza, La Paz; Barangay Tabuc Suba, Jaro; Barangay Bolilao, Mandurriao; Barangay Avanceña, Molo; and General Luna Street, City Proper) were taken over by MORE Power on Feb. 28 this year.
Cacho also cited consumer complaints on social media about their “extremely high bills.” He advised them to file complaints with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
“The ERC set a new rule. Payment of bills during this COVID crisis may be split. Pay it over time. This is something everybody can invoke. Also, you can appeal for a re-check and you can challenge any bill you find high,” said Cacho./PN
