DOE orders power in Albay town restored

LEGAZPI CITY — The Department of Energy (DOE) on Friday directed the Albay Power and Energy Corp. (Apec) to continue supplying power to the island town of Rapu-Rapu in Albay province and gave a 60-day grace period to 1,700 delinquent consumers to work out a settlement mechanism for their P32.5-million unpaid power bills.

Energy Undersecretary Emmanuel Juaneza also ordered the National Power Corp. (Napocor) to extend a wide credit standing to Apec to enable the power firm to continue supplying electricity in the town. Juaneza, in his letter, also directed Napocor, the National Electrification Administration, Apec, Albay Electric Cooperative (Aleco) board, and the Rapu-Rapu municipal government to agree on a settlement mechanism on or before 60 days from May 21.

Turned off Lesley Capus, head of Apec’s internal relations and customer support department, said they welcomed DOE’s proposed solution and hoped to reach an agreement with other stakeholders before the 60 days would lapse. The diesel-fed power supply in the town was turned off last Saturday after delinquent residents failed to pay P15 million, or half of unpaid power bills incurred since 2014.

Apec, which took over the power supply operation of Aleco in 2013, has been struggling with uncollected electric bills in the three districts of Albay now reaching P805 million.

Apec, which belongs to the San Miguel group, has already written to the mayors of the cities and towns in the province asking their help in the collection effort as the revenue would be used to improve their services in Albay.

—MAR ARGUELLES