Published
By Madelaine Miraflor
A 10-minute power
interruption hit the Iloilo Renewable Energy Summit, which is being held today
to address the issues surrounding the power sector of Visayas.
“Even in an event attended by power
distributors, we are not spared from the power interruption. This just goes to
show how broken the electrical system is in Iloilo and the rest of the country,
despite us paying sky high rates to electric companies,” said Gerry Arances,
Murang Kuryente Partylist nominee and a speaker at the summit.
Right now, Iloilo
currently has some of the highest power rates in the Philippines.
The summit was called due to the problems besetting the power sector in Western
Visayas, particularly in Iloilo City.
The summit, jointly
organized by the Murang Kuryente Partylist and Archdiocese of Jaro, was
attended by representatives from the Department of Energy (DOE), energy
companies MORE, PECO, and WeGen, civil society, as well as consumers and
communities from Iloilo, among its attendees.
Speaking on behalf of
consumers, WV Hidlawanay Cooperative Vice Chairman Wilfredo Ortiz said there
has always been tension between electric cooperatives and member-consumers here
in Iloilo.
“The lack of sincerity
in consulting member-consumers in rate adjustments and other important
processes have been largely unfavorable to us,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz cited in
particular the proposal of Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association,
Inc. (PHILRECA), a consortium of electric cooperatives across the country, to
pass on to consumers the real property tax of electric cooperatives, as one of
the sources of this tension.
“PHILRECA’s proposal to the ERC shows that there is a divide between the
interest of the EC and ours as consumers,” said Ortiz. “If ECs are really
controlled and managed by the member-consumers as was intended by law, they
would work towards lessening the cost borne for by consumers”.
Arances, explaining the
role played by Murang Kuryente in the event, said, “The primary consideration,
always, is the consumer. They need electricity, but they must never be held
hostage by vested interests due to this need.”
Murang Kuryente
Partylist, consisting of energy advocates with a long history of defending
consumer interests, has consistently challenged attempts by distribution
utilities and electric companies in raising prices and lowering standards of
service.
Murang Kuryente
Partylist and other groups recently intervened in PHILRECA’s proposal and
caused the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to suspend the hearing after it
was pointed out that the proposal of PHILRECA constituted a rate hike and must
be treated as such.
“Murang Kuryente is ready to do whatever is necessary to force power companies
to do what they are supposed to do – provide affordable, reliable, and
sustainable energy to the public. We are willing to talk to them in a forum like
this, or we can bring the fight for consumers to other arenas,” Arances said.
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