Zamboanga power rates soar

By Al Jacinto, TMT May 2, 2020
https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/05/02/news/regions/zamboanga-power-rates-soar/721486/

ZAMBOANGA CITY: Public outrage is building up in Zamboanga City after the electric cooperative here started billing consumers at the time of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

Electric consumers, also cooperative members, resorted to using social media in airing their complaints, of the overbilling or overcharging imposed by the Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative (Zamcelco)

The electric cooperative failed to read electric meters on time because of the ECQ. By the end of April, consumers received their three-month billing from the electric cooperative.
On Zamcelco’s Facebook page, angry consumers aired their gripes accusing it of taking advantage of the pandemic.

The public group, Zamcelco Complaint Page, on Facebook were flooded with complaints and photos of electric bills showing unreasonable increase in charges.

One resident showed her electric bill amounting to over P30,000 in just two months and said they only pay P11,000 a month on the average.

“This is absurd. This is highway robbery and I don’t know how you would call it, but this is unbelievable. This should be looked into by authorities and investigate Zamcelco,” Jeng Fernandez said, referring to the Energy Regulatory Commission, which has authority over electric cooperatives in the country.

Another consumer, George Lozada Adion, also questioned Zamcelco’s billing: “Are you billing us all these blackouts and voltage fluctuations?” he asked.

Lilia Natividad Ignacio said she only pays around P4,400 a month in electricity, but now Zamcelco has charged her P6,700.

All these problems added to the woes of the already burdened residents, whose livelihood and jobs were severely affected by the health crises caused by the coronavirus now on its second month.

Residents are worried that Zamcelco would cut off their electricity if they failed to pay on time.

Zamcelco’s general manager Gannymede Tiu said they just computed the consumers’ electric consumption the past three months–from February to April.

“During the enhanced community quarantine, people are in their house and are using more electricity and so the consumption also increased,” he told The Manila Times.

The sudden increase in electric charges came despite frequent daily power outages and voltage fluctuations, which Zamcelco blames on the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP).

Tiu said those who have complaints on their electric bill can come to the co-op’s office.
“As per ERC advisory dated April 15, all member-consumers are provided a grace period through a deferred electricity bill without surcharges. The electricity bill shall be divided in four equal monthly installment, payable in the succeeding billing months following the end of the ECQ,” Tiu said.

Zamcelco is now under the management of Crown Investments Holdings Inc. and Desco Inc. after the latter, the heavily-indebted and poorly-managed electric cooperative in January 2019.

Despite the new management, however, rotational power outages continue since last year, forcing Mayor Isabel Climaco to intercede and bring the matter not only to the ERC, but to the attention of President Rodrigo Duterte as well.

But Alsons failed to start building its facility and cited many reasons for the long delay – from the failed Moro rebellion here in 2013 to the P900-million enhancement program it was demanding from Zamcelco as an assurance it could pay them for the stable power supply. Alsons, however, has not started the construction of the power plant and residents have clamored for new players to come in.