Gwen’s intervention sought on looming power rate hike

CEBU, Philippines — The Municipal Council of Cordova has asked Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia to intervene in the impending increase of power rates in the town.

Cordova Vice Mayor Victor Tago III said council approved a resolution following the announcement of the Mactan Electric Company after the Line 2 of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines was damaged by the backhoe operator of the Department of Public Works and Highways on January 21, 2023.

Aside from Cordova, Lapu-Lapu City residents also face the same power rate hike.

The Line 2 of the NGCP, together with Line 1 that carries a total capacity of 360 megawatts, is the only transmission line that supplies power to Mactan Island where Cordova is part of.

Earlier, MECO has already wrote a letter to the Energy Regulatory Commission to suspend the implementation of the power rate ranges from P2.40 per kilowatt hour to P4.00 per kilowatt hour by March of this year as an effect of a cut-off of the main transmission line cable due to diggings at the crossroads of Ouano Avenue and UN Avenue in Mandaue City.

As of yesterday, no reply yet from the ERC.

The Cordova Municipal Council, in their Resolution No. 16-152, stated that “the imposition of an increased additional power charges due to the damaged powerline is an injustice to the consuming public particularly the people of Cordova being held responsible for the fault and negligence of others.”

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan also earlier voiced out his opposition on the said power rate hike contending it would be a grave injustice for his constituents to pay something that is not their own fault.

Betty Martinez, NGCP-Senior Supervisor, Government Relations and Regional Affairs VisMin, said that to date they are still waiting from the Operations and Maintenance Division as to the timeline of the repair of the damaged cable. — GMR (FREEMAN)