ILOILO CITY — The Panay Electric Company (PECO) has assured uninterrupted power supply in Iloilo City amid the non-renewal of its franchise that will expire this January 19, 2019.
Engr. Randy Pastolero, PECO vice president for operations, in an interview Thursday said that they will be “given an authority to operate” as they still have an existing Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) that will expire in May this year. PECO is the sole power distributor in Iloilo City.
He said they were called by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for a meeting and they will also be coming up with an order instructing PECO to “continue operating”.
PECO will continue to operate until the issue on who will get the franchise will be settled.
“True to the commitment of our president, we will never leave Iloilo City in darkness,” he said.
PECO has an application for franchise renewal pending at the committee level of the House of Representatives.
Meantime, the ratified bill for the granting franchise to the More Electric Corporation (MORE) to operate in the metropolis was received by the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) on January 16.
Roel Castro, president of MORE, said that if it will not be signed in 30 days, it will lapse into law.
Meanwhile, Pastolero said that they already have a plan on how to secure power supply in the city during the Dinagyang festival. “We are coordinating also with our power supplier,” he said.
There will also be multiple teams that will be stationed, especially in judging areas, to respond should there be any untoward incident.
“To reiterate what was stated already by our president that PECO will continue to operate. We are on status quo and we will not leave Iloilo City in darkness,” he said.
