Consumers in storm-hit Capiz fear power hike

ILOILO CITY, Philippines—Power consumers in Capiz province are wary of a possible increase in electricity rates due to the massive damage to posts and other power infrastructures caused by Super Typhoon “Yolanda.”

“We are already reeling from the destruction of the typhoon. An electricity rate increase would be an added burden,” said Danilo So Chan, chair of the Capiz Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Council.

To stave off any increase, consumers and business operators have called on the government to shoulder the P670 million in damage incurred by the Capiz Electric Cooperative (Capelco).

The cost of rehabilitating the utility system and restoring power supply in Capiz province were among the concerns raised during a recent planning workshop at Gerry Roxas Foundation Resources Center in Roxas City.

Edgar Diaz, Capelco general manager, said the government, through the National Electrification Administration, had assured the cooperative of a P505-million grant to cover the cost of damage and restore electricity to the province.

But he said Capelco had not yet received the grant and the extent of damage was still being evaluated, especially in the heavily hit coastal municipalities.

The cooperative is the lone power distributor in Capiz, servicing Roxas, the capital, and 16 towns—Panay, Panitan, Pontevedra, Maayon, President Roxas, Pilar, Ivisan, Sapian, Jamindan, Mambusao, Sigma, Dao, Cuartero, Dumarao, Dumalag and Tapaz.

While the grant could cover most of the cost of damage and rehabilitation, Diaz said a “minimal” rate increase could still be possible because the funding excluded some expenses, including the acquisition of utility vehicles, necessary for repair and rehabilitation.