For sake of consumers, ecozone locators: MECO to ERC: Suspend hike

CEBU, Philippines —  While the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and the Department of Public Works and Highways-7 are passing the buck as to who should be blamed on the “hitting of the underground transmission line,” the Mactan Electric Company asked the Energy Regulatory Commission to suspend whatever increase in the power rate brought about by the incident.

In a forum initiated by Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan and Lapu-Lapu City Lone District Representative Cindi King-Chan, both agencies have not expressed support for the impending power rate hike in the city.

“We are against any power rate increase. Why should the Oponganons pay higher when it is not our fault? Dili ni sala namo, ngano kami man ang pabayron,” said the mayor.

MECO General Manager Gilbert Pagobo explained that it is only the ERC who can stop whatever power rate that will be imposed and if the latter will agree, then the impending power rate hike will not be collected.

Pagobo, in his two-page letter to ERC Chairman Monisa Dimalanta, stated that they seek the intervention of ERC to direct the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) to suspend the effect of increase in the line rental due to line congestion and other applicable charges, attributable  to the outage of Line 2 of the Cebu-Mandaue Transmission Line until the complete restoration and operationalization of the said transmission line by the NGCP, or until a more applicable pricing and settlement solution is ordered by the Commission.

MECO hopes that the commission will reconsider their request for the benefit of MECO consumers and the locators at the Mactan Economic Zone.

Chan said that the City Council will pass a resolution in support of MECO’s letter. King-Chan is also supporting the letter.

King-Chan said that the matter is an emergency concern and will bring it to the attention of the Department of Energy and to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Engr. Eda de Guzman of the Maintenance Section of DPWH-7 reported during the forum on what happened on January 21, 2023 when the transmission line 2 was hit by their backhoe operator.

She narrated that on Jan. 20, 2023, their maintenance crew was tasked to excavate a portion of the section crossing UN Avenue using a backhoe excavator considering that it is not part of the contract which repaired the damaged pavement along the road.

This was to facilitate improvement of the existing 6-inch diameter cross-drainage previously constructed by DPWH-7 in 2022.

The activity was aimed to bring run off water towards the existing drainage at the right side going to Marcelo Fernan Bridge.

In the course of the excavation activity, the backhoe operator hit MCWD pipeline.

De Guzman said this caused water to burst from the affected section of the pipe, prompting them to immediately cease from going further with the excavation work.

They immediately called MCWD at around 9:30 p.m. asking them to repair the damaged pipe.

Immediately thereafter at around 10:30 p.m., personnel from MCWD arrived and fixed the water leaking.

The following day, January 21, De Guzman was informed that an NGCP line was also sustained damage that might cause power shortage towards Lapu-Lapu City.

“It was then that I learned that NGCP’s line was also affected simultaneously with MCWD in that excavation activity,” she stated in her report.

She said that based on their initial assessment, there were no warning tape and concrete protection slab covering the NGCP line.

This however was disputed by NGCP.

But while both agencies are passing the buck, which the ordinary Oponganons do not care as all they care is that they will not bear the burden of paying a higher electricity rate, the mayor further said.

Pagobo further said that if the ERC will not approve their letter-request, then power consumers of Lapu-Lapu City will have to pay the increased power rate of P4 per kilowatt hour from the current P2.40 per kilowatt hour starting March 25, 2023 until the transmission line 2 is restored. – GMR (FREEMAN)