Leyeco V to give refund to Ormoc electric users

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MONDAY, 10 SEPTEMBER 2012 20:10 FELIX N. CODILLA III / CORRESPONDENT

THE local government unit (LGU) will finally implement the long-delayed release of direct electricity subsidy to consumers of Leyte-V Electric Cooperative Inc. (Leyeco V) beginning on the second week of September. This was the agreement reached during the Electrification Subsidy Council meeting on August 31.

The LGU will release P38,442,093.63, representing the refund for 2010 and 2011. The Local Government Code (LGC) mandates that 80 percent of the royalties paid to host communities for the utilization of natural wealth be used to lower the cost of electricity through a subsidy or non-subsidy scheme.

Leyeco V GM Juanito Jorda said there are 31,635 Ormocanon consumers for 2010 and 32,020 for 2011 who will receive the refund amounting P625 for 2010 and P645 for 2011 for a total of P1,270 each. The LGU will also allot P310,000 for overtime pay of City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) personnel who will release the refund.

The schedule of releases are as follows: First batch, Sept. 14, 8 a.m.-noon and 1-7 p.m. Second batch, Sept. 15, 8 a.m.-12 noon and 1-7 p.m.

The CTO will also make releases on weekdays, Monday to Wednesday, 8 a.m.-noon and 1-7 p.m. Claimants should bring their receipts from their electric-bill payments.

Representatives should also bring a waiver signed by the registered consumer.

The delay of the subsidy release was brought about by the enactment of Republic Act (RA) 9513, or the Renewable Energy (RE) law, which amends the beneficiaries that can avail themselves of the electric subsidy. If before, the LGC identifies all consumers, Section 31 of the RE law limits the beneficiaries to consumers whose consumption do not exceed 10 kWh per month.

But the Renewable Energy Management Bureau allowed host communities to follow the old procedure while the mechanism or implementing rules and regulations to enforce the RE law have not been promulgated.   source