TACLOBAN CITY– Exasperated with a high cost of power rate and erratic supply of electricity, a resolution was recently passed by the members of the member-consumers of the 11 electric cooperatives in the region.
The resolution, addressed to President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr., was approved by the member-consumers, as represented by their respective officers during an energy summit held on July 11, this city.
Former energy assistant secretary Pete Ilagan, who was the speaker of the said gathering, said that was glad that the member-consumers of the region took it upon themselves to raise these concerns which have affected them for so long now.
“We believe that this clamor by our member-consumers will be heard…,” he said.
In particular, the member-consumers of the 11 cooperatives of the region are calling for the revitalization of the National Transmission Commission (Transco) to ‘take over’ the functions of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
In particular, the resolution said, on the aspect of procuring the ancillary services “in order to ensure the integrity of the nationwide transmission system owing to its continuing failure in living up to its obligations under its franchise.”
The resolution added that as of 2020, NGCP had a combined capacity shortage of 263 megawatts in the regulating, contingency, and dispatchable reserves.
“(And this is) one of the main reasons for the unplanned outages in Region 8 which adversely affects its economic growth. It is worth emphasizing that the operation of NGCP is just a substitute to the State in performing public service and it fails,” it said.
Ancillary services refer to services necessary to support the transmission of electric power from generators to consumers given the obligations of control areas and transmission utilities within those controlled areas to maintain reliable operations of the interconnected transmission system.
Ilagan stressed that with a not-so-good ancillary service being provided by the NGCP, an unstable power supply would have adverse effects.
For one, the economic situation of the area will be affected thereby would make it less attractive to potential investors and even tourists; and loss of employment generation, among others.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
