‘Murang kuryente law to benefit big firms’

KALIBO, Aklan – The recently-signed law mandating the use of the P207-billion Malampaya Fund to pay off the debts of the National Power Corp (Napocor) will only benefit big corporations, three party list representatives in the lower house said.

Rep. Sergio Dago-oc of the Philippine Electric Cooperative (APEC) expressed concern that the provisions of Republic Act 11371, or the Murang Kuryente Act will not ease the sufferings of consumers from the high cost of electricity.


“This is the irony of the law. This law when implemented could not be felt by poor consumers. Industrial consumers meanwhile and large companies could have a savings for millions of pesos as they were the ones who use a lot of electricity. Yet they usually pass on to their consumers electricity rates charges,” he said.

Consumers, according to Dago-oc, could only benefit 10 centavos for every 100 kilowatt hour consumed.

Meanhile, Rep. Presley De Jesus of Philippine Rural Cooperatives Association Inc. party list said he will ensure that small consumers could feel the objectives of the law.

“Together with APEC, Ako Padayon Pilipino party list and RECOBODA party list, we are promising action for the crafting of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the said bill,” he said.

For her part, Atty. Vicar Loreen Lofranco, acting deputy administrator of the National Electrification Administration (NEA) said she hopes member-consumers could utilize the available electricity to do business.


“Electricity is widely available now in the countryside. I hope member consumers of Aklan Electric Cooperative (AKELCO) would use it to have their own business not onl for them to be able to pay their electricity bills but also to augment their income,” she said, representing NEA’s Corporate Resources and Financial Services.

Dago-oc, De Jesus and Lofranco – who all served as guest speakers for AKELCO’s 36th annual general membership assembly in this capital town on Saturday – joined the call for the proper implementation of the Murang Kuryente Act.

On Aug. 13, President Rodrigo Duterte singed the said law sparing consumers from subsidizing government debt via added electricity charges./PN

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