AT THE height of the three-day blackout, I posted this on social media: “All the good that MORE Power has done and is still doing for Iloilo City has been eclipsed by the incompetence of NGCP because MORE Power is the convenient and visible scapegoat.”
We survived the blackout, hopefully the light remains on and the NGCP transmission lines become “robust”.
Let’s look at some of the good done by MORE Power. One the biggest problems that plagued Iloilo City since the former power distribution utility to the present is the spate of fires caused by illegal electrical connections.
Nobody ever thought of finding a more integrated approach in solving this problem until MORE Power took over the reins as sole power distribution utility of Iloilo City.
As a good corporate citizen of Iloilo City, MORE Power will not just ignore the problem and hope it goes away; it decided to take the initiative and this happened:
The city government is working with MORE Power for an integrated approach to fire prevention.
Fire incidents in this city, especially in highly-populated areas, are mostly due to illegal electric connections but preventable, said Mayor Jerry Treñas.
This integrated fire prevention strategy will be implemented in four phases, starting with the deployment of line sweepers to conduct a thorough inspection of secondary lines, service drops, metering facilities, flying connections, and loop connections.
Within six months of work, the city government and MORE Power hope to achieve the ultimate goal of zero fire incidents.
To tackle the common causes of fire, including jumpers, unauthorized load connections, open wirings, substandard service wires, and lack of awareness/negligence, Treñas said the city government and MORE Power will be enlisting the help of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and other stakeholders.
To achieve their goal of zero fire incidents, MORE Power and the city government will:
* ensure that all service lines are jumper-free
* rehabilitate old Elevated Metering Centers (EMCs) and over-extended low-lying wires
* validate and convert unauthorized load-side connections
* institutionalize fire safety through community involvement
This integrated approach to fire prevention will also validate and convert unauthorized load-side connections, with households apprehended for such violations to be regularized through the MORE Konek program.
Likewise, old EMCs and over-extended low-lying wires will be rehabilitated, with priority given to those in depressed or vulnerable barangays.
MORE Power will work with barangay officials, the BFP, Office of the Building Official and City Engineering Office, and its own distribution engineers.
Plus, MORE Power will conduct Information Campaign Seminars with the BFP on electrical and fire safety, as well as Republic Act 7832, the Anti-Electricity and Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Pilferage Act of 1994.
Moving on, as a good corporate citizen MORE Power has been donating vegetable seeds to the Farmers Federation of Iloilo City. As part of their commitment to support sustainable agriculture and promote food security in our community, various types of vegetable seeds were donated last February 2023.
Now the results are starting to show, with healthy plants sprouting up and thriving, pretty soon “I Am Iloilo City” will be awashed with cheap locally grown vegetables.
Meanwhile, on April 22 which happened to be Earth Day, MORE Power Volunteers, Guardians of the Environment, participated in the Earth Day Celebration through the Esplanade Clean up and Mangrove Planting Activities.
MORE Power’s volunteers were able to collect 21 sacks of non-biodegradable garbage from Esplanade 3, 15 sacks from Esplanade 5 and nine sacks from Esplanade9 including planting 200 mangrove seedlings.
“MORE Power’s Guardians of the Environment” is the brainchild of MORE Power president and chief executive officer Roel Castro and their advocacy includes; coastal cleanup, tree planting, and releasing of fish fingerlings to the Iloilo River among other environmental issues.
Not bad; in fact it’s more than good for a three-year-old power distribution utility that’s done more for the natives of “I Am Iloilo City” besides upgrading the power distribution system in its short existence compared to the almost a century presence of the former power distribution utility.
Well played, indeed, “Nong Moroy”./PN
