August 1, 2019 | 10:07 pm
SOLAR Para Sa Bayan Corp. (SPSB)
said Thursday that has been notified that its franchise has been signed by the
President, adding that it is willing to work with parties that had opposed its
plan to build power microgrids in unserved and underserved areas through.
In a statement, the company said
President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed on July 31 Republic Act No. 11357, An Act
Granting Solar Para Sa Bayan Corporation a Franchise to Operate Microgrids in
the Remote and Unviable, or Unserved or Underserved Areas in Selected Provinces
of the Philippines.
The company, led by Leandro L. Leviste,
said it was told by Presidential Adviser on Legislative Affairs Secretary
Adelino B. Sitoy about the signing.
“We thank President Duterte for
giving new choices for electricity to Filipinos in unserved and underserved
areas. This is not for us but the Filipino people, and we owe it to the
consumers who fought for this to deliver the service they have long deserved,”
it said.
The company said electric utilities
and power suppliers had claimed the bill “encroached” upon their service areas,
and opposed how the bill allows SPSB to enter selected areas that experience
regular brownouts, claiming that brownouts are due to many factors that are
beyond their control.
“We also wish to extend an olive
branch to those who once opposed this bill, for us to support the [Department
of Energy’s] goal of achieving 100% electrification and ending energy poverty
in the Philippines by 2022. It is time for us to join forces and work together
for the common good,” it added.
SPSB said since 2017, it has brought
24/7 power to 12 towns for the first time, benefiting more than 200,000
Filipinos, in regions including Mimaropa (Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro,
Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), Cagayan Valley, Bicol, Central Visayas, and
Davao, without any government subsidy.
The company said it was following
Mr. Duterte’s call for the private sector to take the initiative in ending
energy poverty in the Philippines by 2022.
The franchise runs for 25 years and
authorizes the company to operate in Aklan, Aurora, Bohol, Cagayan, Camiguin,
Capiz, Campostela Valley, Davao Oriental, Guimaras, Isabela, Masbate, Misamis
Occidental, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, and Tawi-Tawi.
The bill was approved by the House
of Representatives and the Senate on June 3, 2019.
According to the SPSBC, the final
version of the bill included the following amendments: “Limits the scope to
unserved or underserved areas in selected provinces; requires the use of
renewable energy; subjects SPSBC to regulation by the DoE and Energy Regulatory
Commission (ERC); obligates SPSBC to provide accessible and reliable service,
and local employment, with financial penalties for failing to meet these
obligations; and explicitly states SPSBC ‘shall not be entitled to any
government subsidy.’” — Victor V. Saulon, Arjay L. Balinbin
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