Talking more about MORE

WELL, well, well… It seems that Iloilo City’s sole power distribution utility, MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power), is putting its money where its mouth is. Instead of merely talking about solutions, the company is taking concrete action — and spending serious money to make things happen.

In a previous column, I mentioned that MORE Power was not taking the power crisis lying down. On its own initiative, the company committed to establishing a 40-megawatt (MW) power facility in Guimaras. The MORE Power Barge is expected to provide an additional 40 MW of electricity to its franchise area and is targeted to become operational in the first quarter of 2027.

And just a few weeks later, something significant happened. MORE Power took ownership and operational control of two oil-fired power barges previously operated by Aboitiz Power Corporation.

The bunker C-fired Mobile 4 and Mobile 6 units are currently located at the Navotas Fish Port Complex in Metro Manila. Their transfer was approved by the Department of Energy (DOE).

The barges were transferred by Therma Mobile Inc. (TMO), an Aboitiz Power subsidiary under its thermal investment arm, Therma Power Inc.

MORE Power and TMO are now coordinating the handover to ensure compliance with grid and regulatory requirements. They have also notified the DOE, Energy Regulatory Commission, National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, and Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines.

As I was saying, I am putting my faith in MORE Power’s commitment to make its 40-MW power barge operational by the first quarter of 2027. After all, the company has established a reputation for delivering on its commitments. And judging by these developments, that promise appears to be moving closer to reality sooner rather than later.

By the way, MORE Power has also maintained the lowest residential electricity rate in Western Visayas.

In September 2026, its residential rate stood at P14.42 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), lower than those of six electric cooperatives in the region, whose rates ranged from P15.12 to P17.33 per kWh. That translates to a difference of as much as P2.91 per kWh compared with the highest rate.

And for ordinary consumers already struggling with the rising cost of living, every peso saved on electricity certainly matters.

But MORE Power’s activities are not confined to keeping the lights on.

Recently, around 200 employees of MORE Power, together with personnel from the Iloilo City Agriculturist Office, participated in a harvest festival in Barangay Ticud, La Paz district, Iloilo City.

The farmers harvested two varieties of hybrid melons — Fujisawa and Inthanon. MORE Power employees personally joined the harvesting activities as part of a farm-to-market initiative designed to support local farmers.

During the event, the Department of Agriculture, through its National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program (NUPAP), also turned over a greenhouse equipped with a hydroponics facility to the Ticud Farmers Association.

The farmers likewise received cucumber and chili seeds for future planting, while MORE Power contributed liquid fertilizer and a grass cutter to help sustain their agricultural activities.

Since 2021, MORE Power has continued to extend support to farmers in Iloilo City, demonstrating that its corporate social responsibility initiatives go beyond electricity distribution.

And now, we save the best for last.

In what could literally be described as one of MORE Power’s highest points, the company recently reached another milestone when it clinched the prestigious APEX Company of the Year Award, recognizing its transformative contributions to power distribution and economic growth.

The APEX Company of the Year distinction honors organizations that demonstrate operational excellence while making significant contributions to societal development and the Philippine economy.

For MORE Power, the award represents national recognition of its efforts to establish reliable electricity distribution as a driving force behind Iloilo’s economic progress.

MORE Power president and chief executive officer Roel Z. Castro personally accepted the prestigious honor during a grand ceremony at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Resorts World Manila.

Castro was also named a finalist for the Asia CEO Awards, further highlighting his growing stature in the country’s utility management and corporate leadership sectors.

I suppose I need not dwell too much on what MORE Power has already accomplished for our beloved Iloilo City. Its achievements have become common knowledge.

Among these is the company’s investment of more than P6 billion in capital expenditures to rehabilitate aging electrical infrastructure, strengthen grid reliability, and improve power distribution services for households, businesses, and prospective investors.

And MORE Power is not stopping there.

Looking ahead, the company is preparing to expand its operations into additional franchise areas in Iloilo province, earmarking another P2 billion for development activities across the province’s second and fourth congressional districts.

That is certainly no small commitment. It speaks volumes about the company’s confidence in Iloilo’s growth potential and its willingness to invest in the province’s future.

Still, amid all the awards, investments, expansion plans, and corporate achievements, one important principle must never be forgotten.

As MORE Power president and CEO Roel Z. Castro aptly puts it, “The true test of success remains consumer satisfaction.”/PN