| Tarlac
board heeds militants’ call vs PPA,
PCA CAPITOL HILL —
Several members of the provincial board
here have heeded the call of militant
groups for the provincial government to
take a "strong stand" against
the controversial power purchased
adjustment (PPA) and its local
counterpart, the power cost adjustment
(PCA).
Board member Rolando Pineda told his
colleagues that they should adopt a
"strong resolution" calling on
the national government to review the
Electric Power Industry Reform Act
(EPIRA), which is being generally blamed
for the high-cost of electricity being
provided by independent power producers
(IPP).
In a letter to Vice Gov. Marcelino
Aganon Jr., the left-leaning Bagong
Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan-Tarlac) and
the newly-established broad coalition,
People Opposed to Warrantless Electricity
Rates in Tarlac (POWER in Tarlac), said
that the provincial board, being the
highest local legislative body of the
province, should heed the complaints of
power consumers against exorbitant
electricity rates.
Board member Amado de Leon said that
he found out during a public hearing with
local power officials that the National
Power Corp. (NPC) only charges local
electric distributors here with P1.39 per
kilowatt hour.
Local electric providers here are the
Tarlac Electric Enterprises, Inc. (TEEI),
which services Tarlac City; Tarlac
Electric Cooperative I (Tarelco-I), which
serves the ten towns of the first
congressional district, as well as the
three other towns in the second district;
and the Tarlac Electric Cooperative II
(Tarelco-II), in the third congressional
district.
De Leon said that TEEI, and Tarelcos I
and II charge power consumers more than
double with what the NPC collects from
them.
He added that, aside from the PPA/PCA,
the management of TEEI has then
repeatedly argued that the excessive
electric rates it collects from consumers
are also meant to cover its purported
losses due to pilferages and illegal
connections.
But board member Pablito Rosete,
apparently angered by TEEI’s excuse
for its exorbitant electric rates, said
it is unfair for the privately-owned
power firm to "overburden"
consumers for its
"incapability" to curb the
growing problem of power pilferages in
Tarlac City.
He further noted the discrepancy
between the rates being charged by
Tarelco-I and II, saying that the
former’s power cost is higher than
the latter when both of them are being
similarly charged with the same fixed
amount by the NPC.
Besides, he added that officials of
Tarelco-I have to explain why its rates
are so high despite the intermittent
blackouts that hit areas it serves.
— Rachelle Tayong, C. Philip
Gatdula and Benjie Villa
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