by Myrna Velasco July
14, 2016
Power utility giant
Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has been fast-tracking the electrification of
marginalized areas in Manila and Bulacan, primarily on the request of the
Department of Energy (DOE).
The utility firm said
it has been working on 542 electricity service connections since July 8 this
year, immediately after their meeting with Energy Secretary Alfredo Cusi.
The areas covered of
this initiative are Gaya-Gaya, Isla Puting Bato, Happyland Aroma and Baseco in
Manila.
As of July 10, Meralco
reported that it already energized 249 service areas; and 278 more are due for
completion this week – summing up the whole work timeframe to just two weeks.
According to Meralco
President Oscar S. Reyes, they have deployed ‘regular meters’ for these newly
connected customers.
He stressed that the
request of the DOE is “to basically energize the areas where people don’t have
their own connections, and therefore, rely on illegal connections that charge
higher rates to them.”
Meralco noted that the
initial 249 connections in Manila and Bulacan areas alone necessitated the
installation of more than 88 poles and 19 transformers.
The company said their
teams continuously worked on the scheduled connections “despite the inclement
weather conditions last week.”
Connections to such
areas, it was noted, have array of challenges – including opposition to the
elevated metering centers (EMCs) of Meralco by some barangay officials whose
constituents benefit from illegal electric service.
On the part of the
customer, there is that financial difficulty “to cover the cost of load-side
facilities,” including house wiring and common metering walls.
There is also that
concern in load centers wherein “there had been no proper zoning in depressed
areas” – hence, the inaccessible areas and lack of roads and often tampering by
hostile residents.”
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