CALAPAN CITY: The lone power distributor in Oriental Mindoro is willing to go the distance in opposing the request of the National Power Corp. (NPC) before the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for a power rate increase even if it needs to go to the Court of Appeals.
During a press conference on Monday afternoon, April 8, the Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (Ormeco) has called on the members of local media to join them and other concerned sectors in thwarting the petition of the NPC.
"Sa ngalan ng prinsipyo ng katarungan at katwiran, may magagawa po tayo. Bilang mamamahayag na may malasakit sa kapwa, malaki ang nakaatang na pag-asa sa ating mga panitik (In the spirit of justice and reason, we can something about this. As journalists that has compassion to others, we are have a burden that would bring hope through our writings)," the statement said.
Ormeco general manager Humphrey Dolor said that the cooperative is still doing the rounds in the towns of Oriental Mindoro for member consumers to sign the petition addressed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
"The ongoing petition is already a legal action," Dolor said.
"If there are other means like going to the Court of Appeals, and it is allowed by law, we will do that."
Dolor said that if the ERC approves the request of NPC for a rate increase, it will be an additional burden not only for the consumers and the cooperative's members but also in Occidental Mindoro and the small power utilities group (SPUG).
In October 2023 and February this year, the NPC filed a petition for a new subsidized generation rate for SPUG areas.
Ormeco said that the proposal would mean an increase in generation charges.
"It will be a P1.208/kWh or a 16.35 percent increase for residential consumers and P2.658/kWh or a 35.98 percent increase for commercial and industrial consumers," Dolor said.
Ormeco has more or less 200,000 consumers, 88 percent of whom are residential consumers and 73 percent of which are considered indigent and impoverished.
"As journalists, at this point in time and together with the affected electric cooperatives, let us unite in drum beating our opposition to the petition of the NPC for increase in the generation rate," the statement said.
"Let us inform our people to jointly sign our request to the President not to allow the ERC to grant the request of NPC."
The province still experiences sporadic power outages and higher power rates because of the use of the Emergency Power Supply Agreement (EPSA) of power distributors, which means the generation charges will not get subsidy from the national government.
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