ALECO faces power cut-off

Manila Bulletin 
By Myrna M. Velasco 
Published: July 23, 2013 
Power supply disconnection is due for Albay Electric Cooperative (ALECO) this Tuesday (July 23), the operator of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) has affirmed.
Philippine Electricity Market Corporation (PEMC) president Melinda L. Ocampo noted that the supply cut-off was based on the request of the power generators that the electric cooperative has been indebted with on its supply procurement.
She explained that the schedule of disconnection wasa matter arranged with transmission operator National Grid Corporation of the Philippines.
The debts of Aleco already swelled to P962.956 million as of end-May, based on data culled from power generators.
There have been 45 claimants on its outstanding obligations, including some of the country’s biggest power generators.
ALECO has been asked to work on its ‘rehabilitation program’ so it can keep both its financial and operational strategies afloat.
However, some external factors, including alleged political maneuvers and pending judicial filings have been impeding the implementation of proposed ‘remedial measures’ on the electric cooperative.
The Albay electric cooperative is not alone on the ‘payment-delinquent zone’ though because other ECs are similarly struggling on the financial sphere because of inefficiencies on collections from customers.   source