Members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) have expressed disappointment over the “failure” of MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power), Iloilo City’s new power distributor, to give Ilonggos better service.

During their regular session yesterday, June 23, Councilor Eduardo “Ed” Peñaredondo slammed the frequent and long brownouts in Iloilo City.

“I am dismayed and my heart trembles with frustration to hear that the same thing is happening to Iloilo City. Ilonggos do not deserve a lousy performance as far as power is concerned,” he said.

Peñaredondo stressed that power is a vital part of the city’s economic growth.

The city government’s efforts to further develop the city will be useless if MORE Power will not address the problem, according to the councilor.

“Hambal hambal lang to ang P1.8 billion, wala man,” Peñaredondo lamented.

MORE Power said it has alloted P1.8 billion to modernize the city’s power distribution system.

In his privilege speech, Councilor Romel Duron particularly cited the brownout on Saturday, June 20, and Sunday, June 21, which affected the entire district of Mandurriao and portions of Molo, Arevalo, and Jaro districts.

The unscheduled brownout lasted for almost 13 hours.

“Scheduled power interruptions are understandable but not long and unscheduled ones,” Duron said.

“This failure of MORE Power to better serve its consumers was a frustration to us all,” he added.

Councilors Ely Estante, Allan Zaldivar, and Jay Treñas shared the same sentiments, saying that MORE Power should have put up their own facilities.

“Tani nagbakal nalang sila sang ila facilities, wala nalang gin-expropriate ang iya sang PECO (Panay Electric Company),” Estante said.

“Kon naghambal sila (MORE Power) dilapidated ang facilities sang PECO, ngaa ginbakal nila if they had finances to put up their own?” Treñas said.

“Dapat nagput up sila new facilities para nga ipakita sa bug-os nga syudad nga capable sila maghatag sang better service,” Zaldivar said.

MORE Power cited PECO’s “dilapidated” facilities as among the primary reasons why the city has been experiencing frequent brownouts.

In a previous report by IMT NEWS, lawyer Estrella C. Elamparo, PECO’s legal counsel, said MORE Power, under Republic 11212, is not mandated to expropriate the distribution assets of PECO.

“Pwede silang maginstall ng bago, magtayo ng bagong facilities, but they did not do so. Instead, ipinagpilitan nila na kamkamin ang facilities ng PECO,” she said.

Meanwhile, the SP will conduct a fact-finding investigation into the frequent brownouts in the city.IMT