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The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) reported that the local government unit (LGU) of Caluya, Antique will seek a power supply agreement (PSA) to address the growing power shortages that affect the municipality.
In a statement, the ERC said it met with the Caluya LGU and the National Power Corp.-Small Power Utilities Group (NPC-SPUG) to execute a PSA with Antique Electric Cooperative Inc. (ANTECO) and NPC.
Additionally, the ERC said that the area will conduct restoration and commissioning of additional power generation units.
“As an off-grid area, Caluya relies solely on NPC-SPUG for its electricity supply, yet the community has been plagued by frequent blackouts and prolonged outages, disrupting essential services and endangering the welfare of its residents,” the ERC explained.
The LGU stressed that they have faced financial and operational issues due to the unreliable power supply, adding that Caluya officials have been using their own generator sets to alleviate power strains in the area. However, they emphasized that this should have been a “temporary measure.”
Through the stakeholder meeting, all parties anticipate that Antique will be able to meet the rising demand for electricity.
ANTECO previously reported that Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC) had ended its excess power delivery in the Semirara Island, following the conclusion of its emergency power supply agreement (EPSA) with DMCI Power Corp., which ended last January.
By February, DMCI Power started supplying electricity to Semirara Island while waiting for the ERC’s approval on the generation rate, based on the subsidized approved generation rate (SAGR).
According to ANTECO, the generation rate, along with the universal rates and value-added tax (VAT), will be pass-on charges remitted to DMCI Power and the government.
“While the distribution, supply and metering charges (DSM) as well as the RFSC [reinvestment fund for sustainable capital expenditures] are the rates of ANTECO utilized for its operations, these rates remain the same as approved by the ERC since 2010… [The] information on the generation rate increase was announced since 2022 and 2024,” it added.
