To lower electricity rates in their monthly bills and mitigate the impact of climate change, Pampanga residents are calling on state regulators to allow dominant power distributor Manila Electric Company to expand in the province for them to experience "Maliwanag ang buhay."
The proposal would allow Meralco to distribute power in the cities and municipalities in the Province of Pampanga and replace the Pampanga Electric Cooperative III, which has been making them suffer frequent power outages and charging them higher electricity rates.
The mayors of six municipalities in Pampanga — Apalit Mayor Oscar "Jun" Tetangco, Masantol Mayor Jose Antonio "Ton-ton" Bustos, Macabebe Mayor Leonardo "Bobong" Flores, San Simon Mayor Abundio "Jun" Punsalan, Minalin Mayor Phillip Naguit, and Sto. Tomas Mayor John Sambo met with Meralco chairman Manny V. Pangilinan to seek his intervention in the distribution of electricity supply in their localities.
The local chief executives heaped praises on Meralco's services, citing the distribution utility's less than P9 per kilowatt hour charges compared with PELCO 3's nearly P16 per kWh rate.
The power cooperative charged its customers up to P15.81 per kWh in August, prompting consumers' clamor for a new distribution firm.
Led by the outspoken Apalit mayor, Tetangco discussed with Pangilinan's group suggestions on how Meralco could help Kapampangans through lower electricity rates.
According to Tetangco, the mayors personally requested MVP's intercession because Kapampangans have long been enduring expensive power rates. Fortunately, MVP had pledged to look into their plight, Tetangco added.
The entry of Meralco in the Pampanga power distribution could stabilize the electricity rates in 19 towns and three cities in the Pampanga province.
Clarifying that it would not engage in an electricity rate war with electric cooperatives in the region, Meralco said it will focus on stabilizing the power rates.
To recall, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri called on electric cooperatives to think of out-of-the-box measures to ease the burden of consumers brought skyrocketing electricity rates in their franchise areas.
"But for those who have already stayed on being complacent, na hindi na nila binababa, 'yan ang dapat tutukan din natin at sabihin sa kanila kawawa naman 'yung mga consumers mo. Baka kaya siguro nanatiling mahihirap 'yung mga lugar na 'to (ECs have become complacent and failed to bring down electricity rates. That's what we should focus on and tell them to think of your consumers' welfare.
Maybe that's why these areas remain poor)," he said.