MASANTOL -- In a bid to provide better service to its clients, the Pampanga Electric Cooperative 3 (PELCO-3) on Thursday, January 30, switched on its 20 megavolt-ampere substation in Barangay Sto. Niño.

Pelco-3 president Jun Sigua said the substation is a brand new and state-of-the-art facility that will serve some 8,000 households in this town.

He disclosed that the electric cooperative allocated some P60 million to build facility.

"Pelco-3 is a nonprofit, non-stock cooperative and our earnings are all intended in improving our services for the benefit of our member-consumer-owners," he said.

Pelco-3 General Manager Elizabeth Urbano said the new substation is expected to address the frequent power interruption and low voltage power supply in this town.

Prior to the construction of the new facility, Urbano said the Masantoleño clients were being supplied by a 10MVA substation in adjacent Macabebe town.

"From 10MVA, we tripled our power source to a total 30MVA through this new substation so our member-consumer-owners from Masantol and a portion of Macabebe town can expect a better quality of service from Pelco-3," she said.

Aside from improved service, Pelco-3 Masantol Director Raul Lacap said consumers can also expect a decrease in their monthly bills as the new power facility will also address the network's systems loss.

"A portion of the monthly bills of our client-member-consumers is the system loss charges. Through this new substation, we will be able to lessen systems loss that will result to a lower monthly charges to our client-member-consumers," he said.

Urbano expressed gratitude to Mayor Danilo Guintu for helping them find a property where the new substation was constructed.

"We have long been wanting to establish a new substation here as part of our development projects but we had trouble looking for a land but through the assistance of Mayor Guintu, we were able to realize this dream," she said.