BY GLENDA TAYONA AND MAE SINGUAY
ILOILO City – The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) vowed to come up with solutions to Western Visayan consumers’ high power rates.
ERC had a “technical meeting” with the Market Operator on the possible payment relief for distribution utilities (DUs) affected by the damaged submarine cable of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), according to chairperson and chief executive officer Agnes Devanadera.
“The Commission recognizes the concerns raised, thus, it is closely working with the parties involved for the immediate resolution of the issue,” Devanadera wrote Iloilo City’s Cong. Julienne Baronda.
ERC also gave More Electric and Power Corp.’s (MORE Power) president Roel Castro assurance relative to the utility’s concern on high rentals.
ERC earlier convened the NGCP and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for an “assessment”, Devanadera said.
ERC also had discussions with the Department of Energy (DOE), NGCP, the Market Operator, and affected DUs on Sept. 14.
Baronda recently spoke with Public Works secretary Mark Villar and Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, and “hopefully before Sept. 29, may clear picture na kita kon ano pagabuhaton.”
Baronda and Iloilo’s 2nd District Cong. Michael Gorriceta earlier raised the concern on high power rate in Panay and Negros islands.
Baronda said electricity consumers are being unfairly burdened by the damage caused by the DPWH on a submarine cable of the NGCP.
One of its effects is the uptick in power rates in Panay – from P1 to P1.50 per kilowatt hour (kWh) starting this month.
“Hindi naman kasalanan ni consumer ang kasalanan ni DPWH,” Baronda said earlier.
Dredging and re-channeling activities of DPWH along Bio-os River in Barangay Jagna, Amlan, Negros Oriental on June 15 damaged NGCP’s 138 kiloVolt (kV) high voltage submarine cable there.
According to Baronda, the contractor undertaking the rehabilitation work on the submarine cable was also summoned and told to fast track it.
RESOLUTION
On Sept. 13, five congressmen from Negros Occidental and Iloilo filed Resolution No. 2206 before the House of Representatives directing the appropriate House Committee to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the power rate hike.
This was jointly proposed by Negros Occidental’s congressmen Jose Francisco Benitez (3rd District); Genaro Alvarez Jr. (6th District); Iloilo’s congressmen Lorenz Defensor (3rd District); Gorriceta; and Baronda.
“(E)lectric cooperatives in Western Visayas have attributed the increase in their respective power rates in the last three months to high electricity market prices,” part of the resolution read.
The Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) held a forum on Sept. 9 with various consumer groups, local government units and member-consumer-owners (MCOs).
The Electric Cooperatives Association of Region 6 (ECAR) reiterated that the major factor in the spike of electricity rates for the month of August was the damaged submarine cable.
This caused “imbalances in the power requirement” intended for Region 6 electric cooperatives automatically taken and supplied from WESM (Wholesale Electricity Market), according to ECAR.
These increases in the generation charges were reflected in the electric bills of consumers of the electric cooperatives in Negros Occidental and in Panay Island, they emphasized.
The ECAR said electric cooperatives were also greatly burdened by the high electricity market price./PN
