Palawan lawmakers seek power issues probe

Palawan’s legislators have initiated a call for a Congressional investigation into the province’s escalating electricity prices, which have soared to record levels since November of the previous year.

House Resolution 1544, presented by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Representatives Jose Alvarez from the 1st District and Edgardo Salvame from the 2nd District — called on the House Committee on Energy to thoroughly investigate the Palawan Electric Cooperative and assess the general condition of the electricity provision in the province.

Assuming the caretaker position for Palawan’s Third District after the demise of former Representative Edward Hagedorn last October, Romualdez stressed the need for cost-effective and reliable electricity distribution in the province, citing Section 2(b) of the 2001 Electric Power Industry Reform Act.

“The State’s responsibility is to ensure reliable, secure, and affordable power for its people. The current situation in Palawan, marked by high electricity costs, poor energization levels, and ineffective power distribution, calls for Congressional action,” Romualdez said.

He also expressed concern that the situation in Palawan undermines the enthusiasm generated by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directives to lower electricity rates nationwide and achieve a 95 percent energization target by 2025.

The House Speaker is optimistic that the investigation will lead to solutions benefiting all stakeholders in Palawan, particularly its residents.

Meantime, the proposed probe also seeks to uncover the reasons behind the hike in electricity rates, which began last November.

According to PALECO, the increases were prompted by the removal of a national subsidy for electricity produced by Delta P Inc. under an emergency power supply agreement as stipulated in Department of Energy Circular 2023-06-0021.