As MORE Electric and Power Corporation, the power distribution utility of Iloilo City, continues to buy banner stories to discredit the operations of ILECOs 1,2 and 3 and justify their proposed joint venture agreement, I had a chance to sit down with ILECO 2 General Manager Jose Redmon Eric S. Roquios and asked him a few questions about the MORE proposal.

GM Roquios simply denied that something substantial has been reached between MORE and the ILECOs. He said that the joint venture proposal that MORE Power laid on the table is contradicting what the consumer-members of the cooperative wants based on a resolution that was passed in 2022. He added that he is no longer interested to sit down with the people of MORE if the topic is still the proposed joint venture and he categorically denied that progress has been made since their last meeting contrary to what the power distributor of Iloilo City has been spreading through their PR releases. Anything that he agrees or enters into must have the consent of the board and the approval of the consumer-members.

I asked him of his reaction on the recent criticism of MORE Power through its PR group that their development plan is weak and it will entail more debts for ILECO 2, GM Roquios said that one could not deny the contribution of his electric cooperative to the development of Iloilo and to catch up with its progress, they are ready to provide the necessary infrastructure and supply as the need arises. He said that the credit lines of ILECO 2 are open and ready to fund projects that are not included in their yearly capital expenditures and stressed that it’s the same thing that MORE Power will do as they will not use their own money to fund any of their expansions. ILECO availing credit to fund a project is the same as any business with a sustainable project getting banks to fund it.

Today, the actual load of ILECO 2 is at 47 megawatts while their capacity is at 70 megawatts. While they have purchased additional power supply, they cannot go beyond their own needs as it will entail costs to the consumer-members.

Engr. Roquios further explained that MORE Power could not simply boast of their rates as it is just temporary. He thought at first that they cannot keep up with the declared P6 per kw of MORE but eventually it was MORE that was left catching up with them. ILECO 2 is cheaper with its fixed rates while MORE has the advantage on pass-on rates. Rates are temporary.

I asked him of the services that MORE can provide and ILECO cannot. He cited a clear example. ILECO 2 will immediately troubleshoot  a lone house of a consumer-member in the middle of a rice field or is located in an isolated area.  A private distribution utility will not easily do it as it will have to consider the corresponding expenses.

It’s still too early to conclude as I have not personally heard the proposal of MORE Power yet, but as Thomas Bertram Lance said, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.