PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — A group of concerned residents is urging the National Electrification Administration to intervene and assume control of the Palawan Electric Cooperative due to its persistent failure in providing reliable and affordable electricity.

The group — identified as Palawan Electric Member-Consumer-Owners — plans to present their petition in an upcoming House of Representatives investigation.

PEMCO, represented by Antonio Cabrestante, aims to address the ongoing electricity issues, including frequent power outages and price hikes linked to alleged questionable Emergency Power Supply Agreements offered by PALECO.

Their demand is for immediate action to resolve these problems, which have adversely affected businesses, jeopardized hospitals, and left families without power for extended periods.

Cabrestante stressed that PALECO’s track record since 2014 has been disappointing and a takeover by the NEA is seen as the solution.

“Let’s face it, PALECO is hopeless, if you look at its track record since 2014. The takeover would mean that NEA oversees everything; the same individuals would manage PALECO during the transition period,” Cabrestante said.

“They should have full control of the operation, and it’s highly likely that they will appoint their own manager, and the directors should probably be from NEA as well. Everything should be NEA-controlled because PALECO’s franchise will expire in 2029, and we have five years as transition period, so NEA supervision should be in place for whatever actions that will be taken,” he added.

Under NEA’s control, Cabrestante pointed out the possibility of conducting a distribution bidding process, consider a buyout, or even terminating the franchise.

In stressing PALECO’s inefficiency, he stressed that it has already an antiquated billing software which is currently resulting in statement discrepancies. This week, residents have turned to social media to express their dissatisfaction, reporting bills that have escalated to thousands or even millions of pesos.

“Just take a look, who is to blame for EPSA 1, 2, and 3? It’s still them. Do we have a guarantee for the next 30-40 years of our lives? Is there any guarantee there? The simple problem in their billing system, they cannot even fix it; it’s still causing chaos,” Cabrestante said.

Despite previous attempts to address the issue, PALECO has not taken effective action and now, the residents of Palawan are advocating for government intervention or the direct involvement of congressional representatives to take over PALECO and ensure a reliable power supply for the province.