Embattled firm determined to get franchise approval

PANAY Electric Company (PECO) is determined to retain the franchise to supply electricity to Iloilo City no matter the odds it faces.

PECO corporate communications officer Mikel Afzelius said they are focused on securing their franchise renewal from Congress  for the sake of the continuous development of the city.

“We want to continue to serve Iloilo City reliably with power distribution as long as we can,” Afzelius said.

The congressional franchise of PECO is set to expire in January 2019 while its application for franchise renewal remains pending in the House of Representative’s Committee on Congressional Franchises.

PECO’s main rival, MORE Power and Electric Co., has secured the nod of the House of Representatives and the Senate Committee on Public Services.

In fact, the Senate committee headed by Senator Grace Poe has formed a technical working group (TWG) that will steer the “smooth transition” of distribution from PECO to MORE Power.

PECO, however, scuttled the meeting called by the TWG on Nov 8, 2018 at the Senate in Pasay City.

Aside from focusing on its franchise renewal, PECO emphasized that they are also trying to get the support of President Rodrigo Duterte.

President Duterte recently commented on the PECO-MORE Power rivalry in a speech at the First Subaraw Biodiversity Festival in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

“Ang nangyayari sa Iloilo I’m really trying to find out. Is it justified? Because if it is providing good electricity eh gusto mo lang mang-agaw ng negosyo, sabi ko eh ‘wag na. If it can provide everything that the city needs to improve and develop, hindi ako makikialam,” Mr. Duterte said.

According to Afzelius, the President must have seen the reliability records of PECO.

“He is stating something very logical. That is what we believe. President has advisers giving data to him. Most probably, he has seen the reliability data of distribution utilities and the country and he must have seen where PECO fares compared to other distribution utilities in the country,” he added.

Afzelius said PECO is among the highest distribution utilities in terms of positive reliabilities or less outages compared to other areas in the country.

Meanwhile, PECO is set to appear before the Sangguniang Panlungsod on Nov. 29, 2018 while MORE will also make a presentation to the council on Nov. 26, 2018.

“We are going to give them justifications, sentiments, regarding our franchise renewal and of course the reliability of electric distribution in the city of Iloilo. We will give them facts and data and I hope they will appreciate what we give them,” Afzelius said.

SOURCE: The Daily Guardian

Special thanks to: