By Francis Allan L. Angelo
More Electric and Power Corp’s (MORE Power) takeover of Panay Electric Company, Inc.’s (PECO) five substations and the whole distribution system last week was magnanimous, indeed.
This was the statement of MORE Power President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Roel Z. Castro as he hailed the takeover as the Ilonggos’ triumph.
Castro said MORE Power will be serving the Ilonggo consumers with “high regards and utmost respect.”
“MORE Power will focus on its four commitments as promised before”, he said.
These commitments are:
– improvement of the distribution system reliability
– minimization of franchise-wide outages
– commitment to competitive power rates
– customer satisfaction
“With all this, we are sure to realize sooner our business mantra – Sa MORE Power, Ilonggo ang winner!” Castro said.
He also appealed to Ilonggos to stay calm during the transition period.
“To bring MORE Power to the level of a world-class electric distribution utility, it will take at least three years to rehabilitate and improve the inherited facilities given its state. We assure everyone that we are now on top of the situation. We have taken full control of the sub-stations and all distribution assets since Friday last week. That night, we responded to 13 ‘trouble-shooting’ incidents and attended to almost 40 calls to the hotlines,” Castro said.
Likewise, Castro thanked Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas for the solid support to MORE Power.
‘I am also grateful to all Ilonggos who greeted us with the kindest of words,” he said.
MORE Power’s official Facebook account was also “flooded” by congratulatory messages from netizens after the take-over to date.
TRUTH AGAINST LIES
“The truth is, we are now in full control of the five substations. And we have competent and highly-skilled technical people manning the five substations,” Castro assured.
He also said that MORE Power has quick response teams ready to cater and respond to Ilonggo power consumers’ needs and queries.
Over the weekend, more than 40 employees and third party employees of the former distribution utility operator have applied for some 100 positions that MORE Power allocated for them.
This, as Castro stressed, is in accordance with MORE Power’s franchise to give preference in hiring those who will be “displaced” during the transition period.
Starting today, March 2, 2020, MORE Power’s new corporate office is sited at the PRO FRIENDS Building, along IV-C General Luna street, Barangay Inday, Iloilo City.
‘DON’T BE DECEIVED’
MORE Power also cautioned the public against purported deceptions by its rival firm PECO.
Lawyer Allana Mae Babayen-on, legal counsel to the MORE Power president Roel Castro, said their firm is in full control of the power distribution service in Iloilo City.
Babayen-on said that in accordance with the Writ of Possession issued by Judge Emerald K. Requina-Contreras of the Iloilo City Regional Trial Court Branch 23, the Office of the Ex-Officio Sheriff delivered the physical possession, control, and disposition of the following properties to MORE Power:
– Baldoza, Lapaz Substation
– Gen. Luna Street Substation
– Tabuc Suba, Jaro Substation
– Bolilao, Mandurriao Substation
– Avanceña Street, Molo Substation
– All electric meters, power lines, poles, transformers, installations, and distribution equipment throughout Iloilo City
“To ensure the continuous supply of electricity in Iloilo City, Judge Contreras issued guidelines in the implementation of the writ by virtue of an Addendum to the Writ of Possession. Nowhere in said addendum can be found any order for MORE Power personnel to merely observe the operations of PECO nor any condition that MORE Power should only have one employee per substation,” she added.
Babayen-on said the court sheriff’s duty in the execution of a writ was purely ministerial as “he is to execute the order of the court strictly to the letter. In this case, the order of the court is clear—to install MORE Power to exercise possession and control of the distribution facilities by manning and overseeing the substations.”
“Thus, regardless of how strenuously PECO may deny it, the fact remains that the Office of the Ex-Officio Sheriff has implemented the writ and effectively delivered possession and control to MORE Power as evidenced by the six delivery receipts duly signed by authorized MORE Power personnel, witnessed by impartial third parties including barangay officials, representatives of the media, and even some of PECO’s lawyers.”
MORE Power also turned the table on PECO for allegedly trying to sabotage their operations.
“Last Friday, without regard to how it may adversely affect the Iloilo City consumers and with clear intention to deceive the public, PECO disconnected the internet connection of its switchboard and announced to the public that MORE Power was to blame knowing full well that the disconnection may only be done inside the PECO main building which remained under PECO’s control.”
“While we are pleased to have begun extending our brand of service to the Ilonggo consumers, we are saddened that the people we aim to serve stand to be adversely affected by whatever underhanded tactics certain quarters may employ just so they can foil the execution of a lawful order of the court.”
Babayen-on said MORE Power remains focused on its goal to deliver quality service to the Ilonggos.
“In fact, as of midnight if Feb 28, we have been able to assist 39 callers and dispatch our response team to 13 locations who were able to accomplish all work orders up to 3:00 o’clock in the morning.”
MORE Power also started hiring former PECO workers right after their takeover.
“True to our promise, we accorded preference for hiring former employees of PECO upon commencement of business operations. We have already accepted the applications of TWENTY former PECO employees who have signed employment contracts with MORE Power effective 28 February 2020. Our desire to deliver quality service was intensified when our personnel deployed to man the substations reported the status of the facilities—dilapidated, full of cobwebs, and generally left in a state of disarray. This is not the kind of distribution utility that Iloilo City deserves. In fact, this is not the kind of distribution utility that any consumer deserves.
CPCN, POWER SUPPLY
Atty. Ferdinand Menguito, MORE Power’s counsel for regulatory matters, said MORE Power’s certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) is under process with the Energy Regulatory Commission.
A CPCN is a regulatory compliance certification for public service industries.
Menguito said MORE Power has a pending CPCN application with ERC since December 2018 Last Feb 27, 2020, MORE Power furnished ERC with a copy of the WOP with an urgent motion for the issuance of the CPCN. The ERC has set this for hearing today, March 2, 2020.
“In the hearing, MORE shall present evidence of its actual takeover of the distribution assets in Iloilo City and its technical expertise and capability to operate the said assets. With this, we are very confident that the ERC will soon issue the CPCN,” he added.
Menguito said MORE Power immediately operated the distribution assets upon takeover “on the basis of the fact that it is the only duly enfranchised distribution utility” in Iloilo City.
“Under the said franchise, MORE Power was mandated to ensure that there would be no interruption in the electricity distribution services to the people of Iloilo City during its takeover.”
MORE Power also stressed that it already has four emergency power supply contracts with various power suppliers – Aboitiz Renewables, Kepco SPC Power Corp., Panay Energy Development Co. Units 1, 2 and 3, and Panay Power Corp.
“Thus, MORE Power has adequate supply contracts for the requirements of its franchise area of Iloilo City as can be seen in the fact that no outages due to inadequate power supply occurred during its takeover,” Menguito said.
These contracts are all emergency supply contracts with a term of only one year in accordance with the franchise of MORE and Department of Energy (DOE) Circular No. 2018-002-0003. These contracts will still be subject to the scrutiny of the ERC to determine the final allowable generation rate.
During the one-year term of these emergency contracts, MORE Power shall undertake an open competitive selection process for the long term power supply requirements of Iloilo City.
“This will ensure the least cost electricity for the people of Iloilo City as mandated to MORE by its franchise. Aside from these, MORE is also a registered trading participant in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) where it has been sourcing a portion of the power requirements of its franchise area. In fact, MORE has been taking advantage of the recent relatively low prices in the spot market as it begins to fulfill its promise to bring world-class electric services to the people of Iloilo City with lower electricity costs.”
