SO WHAT in the world is RA 11918 or specifically Republic Act No. 11918?
Republic Act 11918 extends the franchise area of MORE Power – which offers affordable electricity – from Iloilo City to the towns of San Miguel, Alimodian, Leon, Pavia, Santa Barbara, New Lucena, Zarraga, and Leganes in the 2nd District, and the towns of Dumangas, Anilao, Banate, Dingle, Dueñas, and San Enrique, and the component city of Passi in the 4th District.
Just to refresh your memory, about three years ago then President Duterte signed RA 11212 giving MORE Power a 25-year franchise as the sole power distribution and provider of “I Am Iloilo City” after the franchise of former power distribution utility, the defunct Panay Electric Company, expired and was not renewed by Congress, instead awarding it to MORE Power.
The campaign promise then of MORE Power was to provide the cheapest electricity rate possible, which of course it fulfilled with P6.45/kWh, the lowest in the country (now it hovers between P8 to P9 per kilowatt hour; this is due to the volatile open market and geopolitics).
Not only that, when MORE Power cornered its power distribution venture in Iloilo City, the company committed to pump in massive investments to expand the load networks as well as upgrade the distribution facilities so it can finally solve lingering power interruptions in the area, which they did and are still doing now.
Mayor Treñas is all praises for the city’s “reliable partner”. According to him: “The lower rate coupled with the efficient service is one of the things that help Iloilo City attract investors to come in like the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and real estate companies.”
“We all feel the improved services of MORE Power,” he added.
I suppose it would be natural for the neighboring towns of “I Am Iloilo City”, particularly those in the wider Metro Iloilo, to also aspire for excellent service, improvement and rehabilitation, particularly the lower cost of electricity provided for by MORE Power, as compared to what they’ve been getting from their electric cooperatives.
Which brings us to RA 11918. MORE Electric and Power Corporation will be expanding its power distribution business to Iloilo province, after the proposed amendments to its 25-year power utility franchise had lapsed into law on July 30.
Republic Act 11918 or the modified MORE Power franchise extends its franchise area from Iloilo City to the towns of San Miguel, Alimodian, Leon, Pavia, Santa Barbara, New Lucena, Zarraga, and Leganes in the 2nd District, and the towns of Dumangas, Anilao, Banate, Dingle, Dueñas, and San Enrique, and the component city of Passi in the 4th District.
I’m sure you’re curious on how this will play out; let’s check out these excerpts from the Aug. 3, 2022 issue of Panay News:
When MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power), this city’s sole power distributor, gets to finally expand its operation to the 2nd and 4th districts of Iloilo province, the first town it will serve is Pavia, according to its president and chief executive officer, Roel Z. Castro.
Castro was reacting to a report yesterday that MORE Power’s franchise expansion bill that Congress approved in May has lapsed into law on July 30.
Pavia, which belongs to the 2nd District, is the nearest town to Iloilo City. Extending MORE Power’s primary lines to Pavia is thus easier done.
As part of the initial preparation, Castro said, MORE Power has already started extended its primary lines up to the boundary of Iloilo City and Pavia.
“Once we get the approval of the ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission) for the provisional authority, at least parang naka-step one na kita (of our expansion),” Castro said.
After Pavia, it would be the towns of Santa Barbara and San Miguel, said Castro.
And it was not just a simple twist of fate that the inevitable happened. In a privilege speech last year, Pavia Sangguniang Bayan member Dan Fajardo pointed out that a decrease in the cost of electricity would have 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. He cited as example neighboring Iloilo City which enjoyed a dramatic drop in electricity rate by 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 that will hopefully translate to more investments, jobs and tax revenues for the municipality of Pavia,” Fajardo said.
That started the ball rolling from the 2nd to the 4th District; their congressmen got together and introduced a proposed bill in Congress that eventually became RA 11918.
Bravo, SB Dan Fajardo, well-played indeed./PN
