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Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is again eyeing a solution to Batangas province's power woes, expressing its openness to partnerships or a joint venture (JV) with the local electric cooperative (EC).
In a briefing with Meralco executives, Ronnie L. Aperocho, the company's executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO), stated that they are exploring ways to collaborate with Batangas Electric Cooperative (Batelec) to alleviate the anticipated power strains in the region.
“We’re interested. If Meralco could help improve the service in the entire province of Batangas, why not? In fact, we have received a request from the local government, even from customers themselves,” he told reporters.
“We’re looking at [a] different approach. It could be a JV or whatever… We need to coordinate to align with the National Electrification Administration (NEA), [and] other concerned organizations where we have to clear any agreement," he added.
Aperocho assured that any collaboration would adhere to existing electrification regulations and guidelines.
A recent study by Capstone-Intel Corp. revealed that residents served by Batelec I and II experience frequent power outages, typically lasting one to three hours.
Some Batangas residents have also voiced concerns regarding electricity rates relative to the service quality, while others have raised issues about the performance of the ECs' customer service.
Consequently, 54 percent of Batelec II consumers and 48 percent of Batelec I consumers indicated a greater willingness to switch to a more reliable power distributor if given the chance.
The data also indicated dissatisfaction among some residents with their local government's handling of the area's power problems. Capstone-Intel explained that "due to low satisfaction with their current power providers, respondents are willing to vote for candidates who promise to improve the electricity situation in Batangas, highlighting the strong link between basic services and voter priorities."
Last year, Meralco submitted a proposal to Batelec II for a potential venture, noting the area's proximity to some of Meralco’s franchise territories in Quezon, Laguna, and Cavite.
