Power cut off in Manila public schools due to non-payment of penalties

Not unpaid bills but unpaid penalties for illegal connections.

This was the clarification made Tuesday by officials of Manila’s public schools in explaining the power cut off in 11 of the city’s elementary and high schools, adding that their bills are regularly and faithfully paid for.

"Just to clarify, what some of the public schools in Manila are being charged by Manila Electric Company (Meralco) which is over and above their regular monthly power bills, are penalties for alleged illegal connections," said Manila Division of City Schools Superintendent Ma. Luisa Quiñones in a statement reacting to a STAR report last Sunday.

Quiñones said they are now negotiating a compromise with Meralco and went on to express her thanks to Manila Mayor Atienza for "addressing squarely" the problem of illegal tapping in some of Manila’s public schools.

The 11 public schools are reportedly Tondo’s Paez, Hizon, and Calderon; Sta. Ana’s Aguinaldo; Sta. Cruz’s Sumulong; Paco’s Guererro and Lukban; Sampaloc’s Maceda Integrated, Fugoso, and Albert; and Pandacan’s Zamora.

But in documents acquired by The STAR, it appears that although several Manila public schools are up-to-date in paying their monthly electric bills, at least eight other elementary schools in the city have unpaid bills. This includes the Pelaez Elementary School with unpaid bills in January of 1984, September and December of 1986, and March of 1995 and Benitez Elementary School for bills covering the period of March 1991 to February 1999.

Quiñones could not be reached for clarification on the conflict of facts.

The document titled "request for funding on electric consumption" with a title heading "Division of City Schools, Manila" bore the signature of one Josephine Lorenzo, the chief accountant and the name of Quiñones, although it was not signed by her. The document also bore the supposed amount each school owed Meralco for the periods reflected.

Benitez has a liability of P470,250 while Pelaez has a standing payable balance of P37,997. Others in the list are Jacinto Elementary School with an unpaid bill of P762,517 for the period February 1992 to September 1999; Guevarra P2,086,331 for September 1993 to February 1999.

Calderon P1,344,167 for January 1996 to October 1999; R. Palma P281,815 for November 1997 to December 1998 and P107,570 for October to December 1999; Balagtas P105,112 for October to December 1999; Hernandez P87,632 for October to December 1999, and E. Delos Santos P111 092.

With the exception of Calderon Elementary School all eight schools are yet to have their electricity cut off. The supposed unpaid electric bills of all nine elementary schools amounted to P5,394,488 based on the same document.

Quiñones in her statement, however, confirmed that the city government has released some P9.78 million to cover the bills but said this will be applied for the months of September to December of the present year. The expected P3.7 million balance of this amount would then be used to pay the Meralco penalties "as soon as an acceptable compromise is reached," she said.

But according to a STAR source, the amount which was taken from the city’s unused School Education Fund (SEF) will be utilized for the unpaid bills in order to restore power to the 11 schools.

Meanwhile, Atienza has instructed the City electrician to assist integrated public schools in Manila in the installation of separate electric meters for their respective high school and elementary school buildings. Atienza said it is necessary to distinguish the power consumption of each school level as they have separate fund allocations for that purpose. – Jose Aravilla