CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro – The provincial government has filed a petition before the Energy Regulatory Commission opposing the move of the National Power Corp. to increase electricity rates in areas outside the main Luzon grid by as much as 36 percent.
In a seven-page petition, the provincial government, thru its provincial legal officer, Earl Ligorio R. Turano II, said that it is vehemently opposing the Napocor’s petition before the ERC for increased Subsidized Approved Generation Rate (SAGR) which will add P1.2082 per kilowatt hour for residential users and P2.6588 per kWh for residential consumers.
Gov. Humerlito A. Dolor made a similar appeal on April 4 to Monalisa C. Dimalanta, chairperson of the Energy Regulatory Commission, rejecting Napocor’s proposal for new rates in Mindoro Island and other provinces comprising the so-called Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG).
“The additional P1.2082 is a huge adjustment to every household and will definitely be problematic for all Oriental Mindorenos who are still reeling from the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Dolor said in his letter to Dimalanta.
“I respectfully appeal to the Commission’s kindest consideration of the current situation in the province and help our ‘kababayans’ (residents) rise above the calamities that continue affecting their livelihood. Adding another burden to the financial concerns of the people with an increase in electricity cost is the last thing our people need,” added the governor.
The Napocor, in its petition in ERC Case No. 2023-133 RC, said its application for the approval of its proposed New Subsidized Approved Generation Rates (SAGR) in NPC-SPUG areas is just proper, considering that the member-consumer’s capacity to pay has improved based from a recent survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority.
The Napocor also requested the ERC to approve its benchmark adjustment rate using the fuel costs adjustments and foreign currency adjustment for the SAGR commercial and industrial consumers.
The Napocor identified the areas where it sought an increase as Mindoro, Marinduque, Palawan, Catanduanes, Masbate, Romblon, Tablas, Camotes, Siquijor, Bantayan, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.
Also airing the sentiment of the provincial government as intervenors in the case are the Association of Isolated Electric Cooperatives (AIEC), Electric Advocacy of the Philippines (EAP)-Oriental Mindoro chapter, and former Department of Energy Undersecretary Cesar G. de la Fuente, a resident of Naujan town.