That SM relationship

Clark Development Corp. president Emmanuel Angeles sent a two-page, six-point primer on the proposed SM City Clark, which aims to be the second mall site in Pampanga for the SM Group headed by Henry Sy.

Based on the primer – the second version dated Sept. 23, 2002 – the bottom line is CDC has not yet signed the 25-year lease agreement (which is renewable for another 25 years) with SM.

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It’s no secret that National Power Corp.’s favorite whipping boy is also its biggest customer.

And it’s equally no secret that Manila Electric Co., which holds the franchise to distribute electricity to Metro Manila and adjacent provinces, can’t just take a French leave on this sado-masochistic relationship.

The problem lies in generation and transmission, which account for 80 percent of the total monthly billing that Meralco charges its customers.

On the one hand, Napocor charges Meralco the earth so it can subsidize or charge cheaper rates to the less developed areas of Visayas and Mindanao.

On the other hand, Meralco continues to buy the bulk of the power it distributes from Napocor. A small portion comes from three power plants, two of them fired by natural gas, that it owns.

Whether the power generated is from Napocor or from its own power plants, the electricity must use the transmission lines of government-owned National Transmission Co., which is headed by former Napocor chief operating officer Asisclo Gonzaga.

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With October being Consumer Welfare Month, Trade Undersecretary Adrian Cristobal Jr. has been all over the place promoting the rights as well as responsibilities of consumers.

Here are the eight rights of consumers that Che Cristobal and his team have taken the time to write down:

1. The right to basic needs – "The consumer may look forward to the availability of basic and prime commodities at affordable prices and of good quality."

2. The right to safety – "The consumer may look forward to manufacturers of consumer goods undertaking extensive safety and performance testing before their products are placed in the market. Manufacturers must place labels that contain proper information regarding the product, its use and how to operate it, and any precaution or warning sign."

3. The right to information – "The consumer may look forward to complete information about the product to be purchased, including its use, ingredients/chemical contents, and expiration date."

4. The right to choose – "The consumer may look forward to a wide array of goods and services that are offered in the market, with diverse brands, sizes, shapes and colors and with differences in price, quality and use."

5. The right to representation – "The consumer may look forward to their district representatives proposing laws and legislation to ensure consumers the opportunity to live a better life by getting the best value for their hard-earned peso."

6. The right to redress – "The consumer may look forward to manufacturers and storeowners replacing defective or inferior goods. The no return, no exchange policy is against the law."

7. The right to consumer education – "The consumer may look forward to tri-media information campaign on government policies and laws related to consumer issues and concerns and the integration of consumer education into the school curriculum."

8. The right to a healthy environment – "The consumer may look forward to government exerting all efforts in curbing, controlling and eradicating any and all threats to the environment through constant and steady monitoring and the strict implementation of laws, rules and regulations."