LGUs seen as big help in restoring electricity

DAVAO CITY—The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) and National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) should ask the help of local government units (LGUs) in areas ravaged by Typhoon “Glenda” so that power could be restored quickly, Valenzuela Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian said on Friday.

In a statement sent to the Inquirer, Gatchalian said the problem was that a large part of Meralco areas still had no electricity amid pronouncements that efforts to restore power there were being hastened.

Gatchalian said LGUs in the affected areas had their own heavy equipment and personnel who could help Meralco and NGCP in fixing toppled transmission lines, and this would facilitate quicker the restoration of electricity.

“In fact, LGUs can help Meralco and NGCP identify the areas where there is still no electricity and through their joint effort, power can be restored faster than earlier projected by the Department of Energy,” he said.

In a separate statement, Bayan Muna Representatives Neri Colmenares and Carlos Zarate said it was high time that the government take back control of the power industry from the private sector.

They said that unless the government regains control of the industry, consumers would always be on the losing end. Allan Nawal, Inquirer Mindanao