LUCENA CITY, Quezon – Quezon Governor David Suarez is asking the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial legislative board) to study and make recommendations on the disparity in power rates between electric cooperatives and big power utilities.
Suarez noted that electric cooperatives In Quezon charge power consumers higher rates than the big power utilities.
In an interview with the Philippine News Agency, Suarez said the power rates of the electric cooperatives like the Quezon 1 Electric Cooperative Inc (QUEZELCO 1) and QUEZELCO II, which supply the huge base of power consumers from the lower class municipalities, are much higher compared with the big power firms like Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) which supplies high class municipalities and cities.
In view of the disparity, the Quezon governor sought the assistance of the provincial board to study and review the situation, although he said that matters pertaining to the power rates are under the jurisdiction of the Energy Regulatory Commision (ERC).
“Bakit ganun, bakit kung sino pa ‘yung mahihirap sila pa ‘yung kailangan magbayad ng mahal!, at the same time hindi pa stable ‘yung power supply, so, nagbabayad kami ng mahal hindi stable ‘yung power supply mahirap ka pa (why is this so, those who are from the poor sector are being charge higher (on the power rate), this, despite the unstable power supply. So, the situation is that the poor pays higher for an unstable power supply),” the governor said.
He said this is ironic because it should have been the poor people and financially-disadvantaged who should be given the lower rates, and the situation now is that the electric cooperatives, whose consumer base are mostly the poor people, charge higher than Meralco.
In Quezon province, most of the lower class municipalities including the island towns or geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs), where the population is largely among the poor households, get their power supply from electric cooperatives.
Suarez added that the province would soon benefit from the Diesel and Biomass Power Plants of the Renesons Energy Polillo power firm in Polillo, Quezon once these are operational and could supply some 3.5 to 5.5 megawatts of energy. (Gideon Belen/PNA)
