LIKE all electric cooperatives in the country, Pampanga Electric Cooperative I-IV (PELCO) is experiencing financial strain in the face of rising cost of goods and services, runaway inflation and all sorts of problems.
It is understandable that a struggling coop like PELCO is facing financial woes resulting to inadequacy of capital for CAPEX or capital expenditures, leaving out the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment, materials and other essentials.
For so long, PELCO had to resort to cutting off its power supply no matter how its customers react due to sporadic and sometimes prolonged outages.
The overall supply of electric power is thin and grim and the power suppliers are grimacing under the backbreaking cost of maintaining their power plants which are likewise old and near to being unserviceable. In a matter of months, it is assumed that even the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines will experience short supply of electric power and had to resort to "rationing" of electric poweer supply. So, what else is new?
True to form on outages, PELCO announced a brownout schedule on October 17, 2022, a Monday, from 9 am to 5 pm, but it restored power at 4 pm, an hour before the schedule, but, lo and behold, it again cut off electric power by 8:35 pm on the same day and restored it at past ten pm. The reason? A primary line was reportedly severed at the SCTEx Dolores area. Imagine the discomfort this electric service provider foists on its consumers who are very disgruntled over the cooperative's performance. Many of them are clamoring for a change of electrice service provider, preferably by an efficient private company, the Angeles Electric Corporation of neighbor city of Angeles.
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Previously, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Pampanga mulled conducting an investigation over PELCO's inefficiency and high rates of its electric power supply, that is why to assuage the fears of consumers, it proffered rebates on current electric bills. Well. . .
Mabalacat City, a fast-growing area, deserves a better electric service provider and its officials have to look for a good alternative to provide the constituents a comfortable daily existence.