ILOILO – Residents of Pavia town welcomed their Sangguniang Bayan (SB) resolution seeking affordable electricity for the municipality.
The body unanimously passed such resolution on Tuesday, with SB member Daniel S. Fajardo II underscoring that making electricity affordable would be “a big relief in this time of pandemic.”
Luz Cabes, a resident of Barangay Purok 4, said it would be a “daku nga bulig sa amon.”
She told Panay News she won’t mind MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power), the power distributor in nearby Iloilo City, extending its service to Pavia.
In July, the rate of electricity in Iloilo City was reduced from P10 per kilowatt hour to P6.45 per kilowatt hour. In Pavia, on the other hand, residents pay P10.90 per kilowatt hour.
Pavia is being served by Iloilo Electric Cooperative 1 (ILECO 1).
SB member Fajardo said a drop in electricity rate would have a direct impact on Pavia’s residents and stakeholders such as the various businesses.
“Gusto gid namon ina. Daku gid nga bulig kon magnubo ang amon nga balayran,” said Cabes.
Josie Jaspe of Barangay Purok 3 also welcomed the proposal, especially in this time of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
“Dapat lang…Kalipay gid ‘na namon kon magnubo ilabi na nga ang ekonomiya syado gid kapigado,” Jaspe said. “Ngaa indi naton pagtinguhaan nga magnubo kay taas gid man subong ang aton kuryente.”
Jaspe, a kakanin vendor at the town’s public market, said he is paying ILECO 1 P1,100 every month, and he’s not happy.
“Grabe ang pagtaas kay ang system loss sang kuryente halos ginapatong nila sa konsumidor. Kaluluoy sang konsumidor nga ginhawa man lang gani katipid. Kon makita mo sa bill mas daku pa ang losses nga ginabayran mo sa actual nga gina-consume mo,” said Jaspe.
Jaspe has no problem with MORE Power entering Pavia as long as it can supply electricity to the town, which hosts lots of residential subdivisions and factories.
Francis Coronel, a businessman from Barangay Anilao, meanwhile, said cheaper electricity would be advantageous to residences and businesses.
“Like sa amon balay daku ang amon bill – mga P5,000. Subong grabe nga pagtaas kay naga-stay at home ang mga kabataan. Pero kon manubo ang kuryente meaning manubo ang akon balayran,” Colonel said.
Having “encountered problems” with ILECO 1, Coronel also said it would be okay if MORE Power becomes Pavia’s power distributor.
“Pabor ako kay kapila na gid man ka-instances or reading sang ILECO 1 daw wala nagasanto sa imo nga gina-consume,” said Coronel.
Vendor Candelaria Temblador of Barangay Purok 2 also wanted affordable electricity.
“Siempre daku gid ang bulig kay ang kita namon gamay sa pagtinda,” Temblador told Panay News.
For Connie Bation of Barangay Tigum, no one would object if the price of electricity goes down, especially for an entrepreneur like her.
“Maayo man kon amo ‘na. P1,000-plus daan ang balayran ko kada bulan sa tindahan tapos sa balay P500 plus ang balayran,” said Bation.
Meanwhile, according to Jomar Libuna of Barangay Mali-ao, it would be a big help to him, especially now with his income from driving tricycle down.
“Ngaa indi kaw magsugot man? Nami gani ina kay gamay ang balayran,” Libuna said.
Currently, he is paying P1,000 monthly for his electricity.
He is also in favor of Pavia’s inclusion to MORE Power’s service area, “basta nubo lang (ang bayran).”
Alice Dela Cruz of Barangay Pandac echoed Libuna’s position.
“Makatipid gid kami kag ang iban ibayad namon sa iban nga balayran… yadi pa ibakal bugas kag sud-an,” Dela Cruz told Panay News.
Dela Cruz’s electricity bill reaches P700 every month.
GORRICETA: IT’S A WELCOME DEV’T
Cong. Michael Gorriceta of the 2nd District and a resident of Pavia welcomed the proposal, pointing out that his town continuously developing.
“Welcome development gid ina… Paano ta maka-argue (against it) kon ang gina-offer ta sa consumers abi is barato nga kuryente,” Gorriceta said in an interview with Panay News.
He suggested that other towns issue similar calls also for the proposal to have considerable weight when brought to Congress which issues utility franchises.
Gorriceta specifically mentioned the “first towns” – municipalities that are adjacent to Iloilo City – of Leganes, Oton, Santa Barbara, Cabatuan, Dumangas, and Zarraga.
“Kon may ara man similar na mga resolution or request coming from either mayor or SB i-tingbon na lang,” added Gorriceta.
He pointed out that ILECO 1 has a franchise and also wanted to hear the position of the National Electrification Administration.
“Much better nga makasugilanon man ang existing franchisee and ang nag-interesar nga magsulod kay basi man lang kon masugilananon nila whatever the arrangement even the sharing at least matawhay bala,” Gorriceta said.
In his privilege speech during the Pavia SB’s session on Tuesday, Fajardo proposed, “with a heightened sense of urgency, that this august body pass a Resolution requesting our honorable congressman Mike Gorriceta to explore this matter and possibly make the appropriate representations to Congress or to MORE Power if this is at all possible.”
SB member Jose Maria Trimañez, chairman of the Committee on Transportation, Franchises, Communications and Information Technology, backed Fajardo’s call.
He introduced a resolution requesting Gorriceta to “make representation in Congress” to “explore possibilities to open the franchise to operate another power distribution utility just like MORE Power that can give a lower kilowatt rate and efficient customer service to Pavianhons.”/PN