A CITY councilor said that the Davao City Council will summon officials of Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) next week regarding their application for an increase in power rates.
Councilor Pilar Braga, who chairs the City Council committee on energy, transportation, and communication, said DLPC last year applied for the approval of the annual revenue requirement and performance incentive, otherwise known as the Performance-Based Regulation of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) under ERC case 2009-041 RC.
Under the application, Braga said the effective rates of increase are as follows:
* for residential customers - 21.53 percent
* for secondary retail 2.1 - 15.04 percent
* for secondary retail 3.1 - 10.98 percent
* for primary retail 4.1 - 2.39 percent
* for flat lighting 5.1 - 43.13 percent
"Public consultations were held, meaning this might be near its approval. From the time of its approval, it will be implemented perhaps two or three months (later)," Braga said in an interview.
Braga said any increase in power rates is of interest to the people, thus the need for the Davao Light executives to explain why they intend to do so.
"We understand that this might be because their operation cost has gone up but still we'd like to hear it from them why the increase," Braga said.
As to whether the council may request DLPC to lower the increase rate or delay its implementation, Braga said they might.
Braga said the ERC held on January 22 a public consultation on DLPC's basic distribution rate adjustment or increase.
"This public consultation was attended by oppositors and observers, at the audio visual room of the University of Mindanao, Matina Campus," Braga said.
The application was made last June 15, 2009, while the jurisdictional and expository hearing was conducted on July 21, 2009.
The evidentiary hearing, on the other hand, was held August 6, 2009, and the draft determination on November 25, 2009. (JCZ)