ILOILO City – MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power) is ready to ensure a safe environment for all households and businesses in this city.
The company is set to implement transition programs and innovations including rate reduction, systems loss reduction and incidents of illegal connections.
“Safety for all,” stressed by MORE Power president and chief executive officer (CEO) Roel Castro.
“In our bid to be the leading world-class distribution utility in the country, we are committed to care for the people and environment. In our plan to boost business dynamism in the community, we are as committed to bring delight to our power consumers, enrich the lives of our stakeholders, and foster a nurturing and learning culture among members and families of the company,” said Castro.
Safety for all, the company stressed, would be anchored on efforts to curb illegal connections and a strengthened anti-pilferage campaign.
MORE Power expressed dismay over mounting reports on Panay Electric Company’s (PECO) hazardous facilities and pictures showing myriad illegal connections.
From dilapidated meters of unsafe height and disorganized service drops, MORE Power assured solutions to correct what are currently prone to pilferages.
Pictures also abound showing unsafe clearances from vegetation that are likewise prone to power interruption, and those showing “spaghetti wires”, leaning poles and similar hazardous facilities.
There are also numerous unsafe lines to structures and other facilities including PECO’s power substations, and oil leakages.
To note, PECO in 2017 came out with a report on the proliferation of illegal connections in the city. While the number was of decreasing trend, PECO’s Mikel Afzelius said the “power pilferers” were highest in Barangay Calumpang, Molo district.
PECO reported a total of 2,399 violators in 2015 while 1,488 arrests were made in 2016. Data were not immediately available on recent arrests.
Research then made by the Communications and Media Studies 131 students of the University of the Philippines Visayas disclosed last year’s high of 525 households in Barangay Calumpang with illegal connections. The number was more than double the 251 recorded in 2016.
The reason, a top barangay official explained, was the inability of the “illegal settlers or squatters” to comply with PECO requirements for low-load electrical connection.
The official then shared the need for PECO to “go down to the barangays and hear the locals out to see the actual situation, and propose long-term solutions instead of just passing the blame.”/PN
