Outrageous! Philippine Electricity rate now is the most expensive in Asia in the same level rate with Germany and Japan.
Western countries pushed for more Nuclear power plants, the Philippines is still in shock?
Is this not enough that the Government must take over the Electric companies for their continuous collusion conspiring the simultaneous shutdown to demand power hike?
In less than 3 years, the impoverish Philippines would be the most expensive power rate in the world if the government will not intervene the oligarchs conspiracy.
Philippines: Lawmaker pushes for government takeover of power utilities
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Ridon refers to successive power rate hikes initiated by Meralco
Manila: A lawmaker is pushing for a government takeover of power utility firms as he said that the country's constitution allows such a move when the people's interests are at stake.
"If Meralco and the power generators cannot deliver affordable power rates to the public, all power utilities should now be taken over by the state for its operations," Representative Terry Ridon of the youth sector party-list "Kabataan" said.
Ridon was referring to successive power rate hikes initiated by Meralco, the Philippines' century-old power utility megalith, since November. An unprecedented hike to ₱4.15 per kilowatt hour had been implemented by the power firm that month, which had consumers demanding an explanation.
The government met Meralco's rate hike with a court order preventing its implementation.
Meralco had responded to the public's outrage by warning that Metro Manila and areas it provides service to risks experiencing long power outages if the rate hike would not be implemented.
Kabataan's Ridon described the power firm's response as "fearmongering," Ridon said if Meralco continues to hold the public hostage with threats of power shortages, the government can exercise the option to declare a "national emergency" and take over of all power utilities, from generation to transmission and distribution.
"Meralco should thus be circumspect in delivering public statements which seem to blackmail the public to simply accept the reality of very high power rates," it said.
Years of poor government decisions had left Filipinos at the mercy of distribution firms like Meralco and the multitude of power generating firms that supply electricity.
"The public now knows that power generation utilities have the greatest effect on power rates. Clearly, these utilities are businesses imbued with great public interest," Ridon said.
Ridon said that he is also contemplating on filing a bill revoking Meralco's legislative franchise, for its failure to provide the public the least cost of electricity.
He is the minority member of the House committees on legislative franchises and energy.
The prospect of blackouts struck fear not only to the common consumers but also to businesses that stand to lose much from lost productivity and idle equipment.
On the part of the presidential palace, it said the government is determined to find ways to mitigate the impact of rising electricity bills once the high court's temporary restraining order on Meralco's rate adjustment is lifted.
Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr said the government must find ways to ease the burden of the power rate hike to consumers.
As it stands, Meralco consumers are already paying for electricity that as much as in highly developed countries like Japan and Germany.
Meralco had earlier announced the rate increase was to be imposed in three tranches, as a result of the scheduled shutdown of the Malampaya natural gas plant in Palawan.
Due to the shutdown, Meralco bought more expensive electricity from the private power providers to cover for the deficit needed in its jurisdiction.
Once known as the Manila Electric Railways Corporation when it operated the capital's tram system during the early 1900s all the way to the 1940s, Meralco had since evolved into a virtual electricity distribution monopoly, delivering power to Metro Manila as well as the provinces in its periphery.
It consistently figures as among the country's top five corporations.
The last time that government took over power firms was when Martial Law was implemented by then President Ferdinand Marcos in 1973. – Gulf News
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