ILOILO – As calls for affordable electricity grow louder, Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. urged the Iloilo Electric Cooperative 1 (ILECO 1) to explain to the public its price per kilowatt hour.
“Maayo gid kon mapa-athag nila kon ano ang nagakalatabo para mabal-an sang tawo,” he said.
In the municipality of Pavia, one of the service areas of ILECO 1, the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) is exploring the possibility that the power distributor in adjacent Iloilo City extend its operation to the municipality so that Pavianhons could enjoy cheaper electricity.
In Pavia, residents pay P10.90 per kilowatt hour. In Iloilo City, on the other hand, the rate of MORE Electric and Power Corp. is P6.45 per kilowatt hour.
According to Defensor, he already talked to ILECO 1 general manager, Engineer Miguel Paguntalan.
“You explain para makita (sang tawo) kay ti kis-a the price of electricity is dynamic sa household level, sa retail and the source from generation. The price of generation influences the retail price,” said Defensor.
Aside from Pavia, the town of Leganes is also interested in getting affordable electricity. Mayor Vicente “Junjun” Jaen is open to the possibility of his municipality becoming a part of MORE Power’s franchise area.
In an interview with DYRI RMN-Iloilo, Jaen said it would be great if his people have the option to choose a much cheaper electric.
Lower electricity prices will help residents and businesses especially in this time of pandemic, he said.
Like Pavia, Leganes is part of the Metro Iloilo Guimaras Economic Development Council (MIGEDC). Other members are San Miguel, Oton and Santa Barbara.
Panay News also tried to reach out to the local chief executives of San Miguel and Oton but they have yet to respond.
“Importante nga mapa-intindi kon ano ang circumstances sa presyo,” said Defensor.
A power distributor must ensure that it has fulfilled its obligation and consumers are satisfied with its service, he stressed.
As for changing power distributors, Defensor said, “Let it go through regulation.”
“May proseso nga gina-agyan kag ginatan-aw gid ina,” said Defensor, because power distribution is “a highly regulated industry.”
On Aug. 31, the SB of Pavia passed a resolution requesting Cong. Mike Gorriceta of the 2nd District to “make representation in Congress” to “explore possibilities to open the franchise to operate another power distribution utility just like MORE Power that can give a lower kilowatt rate and efficient customer service to Pavianhons.”
The move came after SB member Daniel S. Fajardo II, in a privilege speech, pointed out that a decrease in the cost of electricity has 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.
“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. “San-o pa ayhan ang Pavianhon maka-enjoy sang barato or manobo nga presyo sang kuryente?”
Fajardo recommended that Pavia – which is roughly just 9.6 kilometers from Iloilo City – start looking into the possibility of being made part of the franchise area of MORE Power.
“We are adjacent to Iloilo City. It is our duty to provide our stakeholders with cheaper power to help them grow their businesses and will hopefully translate to more investors, jobs and tax revenues for the municipality of Pavia,” said Fajardo./PN