ILOILO City – When MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power), this city’s sole power distributor, gets to finally expand its operation to the 2nd and 4th districts of Iloilo province, the first town it will serve is Pavia, according to its president and chief executive officer, Roel Z. Castro.
Castro was reacting to a report yesterday that MORE Power’s franchise expansion bill that Congress approved in May has lapsed into law on July 30.
Pavia, which belongs to the 2nd District, is the nearest town to Iloilo City. Extending MORE Power’s primary lines to Pavia is thus easier done.
Castro clarified that MORE Power has yet to receive official communication or transmission of the franchise expansion bill’s lapsing into law either from Congress or Malacañang. But he cited a Manila Bulletin online report yesterday afternoon which already cited the measure having a number – Republic Act 11918.
“It seems it might be already official. But wala pa kita official communication,” Castro clarified.
He also said Republic Act 11918 or the modified MORE Power franchise has to be published first in two major newspapers.
As part of the initial preparation, Castro said, MORE Power has already started extended its primary lines up to the boundary of Iloilo City and Pavia.
“Once we get the approval of the ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission) for the provisional authority, at least parang naka-step one na kita (of our expansion),” Castro said.
After Pavia, it would be the towns of Santa Barbara and San Miguel, said Castro.
Republic Act 11918 extends the franchise area of MORE Power – which offers affordable electricity – from Iloilo City to the towns of San Miguel, Alimodian, Leon, Pavia, Santa Barbara, New Lucena, Zarraga, and Leganes in the 2nd District, and the towns of Dumangas, Anilao, Banate, Dingle, Dueñas, and San Enrique, and the component city of Passi in the 4th District.
“This is a really good news. We are excited not only for the people of Pavia but also for the other towns covered by the expansion,” said Pavia Sangguniang Bayan Member Daniel “Dan” Fajardo II.
HOW IT STARTED
In a privilege speech August of last year, Fajardo pointed out that a decrease in the cost of electricity would have a direct impact on the lives of Pavia’s residents and stakeholders such as the various businesses that have made the municipality their base of operation. He cited as example neighboring Iloilo City which enjoyed a dramatic drop in electricity rate by MORE Power.
Last July 2021, the rate of electricity in Iloilo City was reduced from P10 per kilowatt hour to P6.45 per kilowatt hour, “a big relief in this time of pandemic,” said Fajardo.
“We are adjacent to Iloilo City. It is our duty to provide our stakeholders with cheaper power to help them grow their businesses that will hopefully translate to more investments, jobs and tax revenues for the municipality of Pavia,” Fajardo said.
Fajardo’s privilege speech prompted the Sangguniang Bayan to unanimously pass a resolution seeking the possibility of Pavia being covered by MORE Power’s service. It called out 2nd District’s Cong. Michael Gorriceta.
The Sangguniang Bayans of other towns did similarly.
Gorriceta – and 4th District’s then congressman Braeden John Biron (now mayor of Dumangas, Iloilo) – subsequently introduced a measure in the Lower House (House Bill 10306) seeking the extension of MORE Power’s franchise.
The 2nd and 4th districts are currently under the franchise area of Iloilo Electric Cooperative (Ileco) 1.
Yesterday, Gorriceta welcomed the report that the Congress-approved measure lapsed into law.
“Intense public clamor led me to sponsor the bill,” Gorriceta.
The people of the 2nd District, he said, now have options with regards to electricity services.
“Eventually, this will ensure the continued progress of the district,” said Gorriceta.
MORE Power’s Castro acknowledged the clamor by those outside of Iloilo City for better service and lower rates.
“As a public utility, we cannot turn our back on this. May obligation tayo and if people are wanting to receive our service then we cannot deny them that,” said Castro./PN
