CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Mayor Vilma Caluag of this capital city elevated the concerns of her constituents regarding the power rate hike implemented by the San Fernando Electric Light and Power Company Inc. (SFELAPCO).
On March 20, 2023, the Senate Committee on Energy conducted the hearing on PS Resolution No. 512 or the "Alleged violation of San Fernando Electric Light and Power Company Inc. including the power supply agreement in the retail rates.
Senator Raffy Tulfo, chair of said committee, presided over the hearing.
Caluag said "dumudulog po kami sa inyo at humihingi ng tulong dahil hindi po kami sang-ayon dito sa karagdagang singil sa kuryente at para sa agarang pagsunod ng SFELAPCO sa order ng ERC [Energy Regulatory Commission] na ibalik ang P654 million na siningil nila ng walang pahintulot at maipatupad sa long madaling panahon."
"Humingi din po ako ng tulong sa ngalan ng aking mga kababayan sa San Fernando [Pampanga] bilang kanilang ina, na hindi ko sila pababayaan dsa kanilang kahilingan na pagilan ang pagtaas sa singil sa kuryente dahil sa hirap ng buhay," she added.
Tulfo said since 2014, SFELAPCO has been implementing the power supply agreement (PSA) with Aboitiz Power Renewables Inc. without the approval of the ERC.
As a result, the ERC declared the contract between SFELAPCO and APRI null and void and asked the electric cooperative to refund its customers the P654 million as soon as possible.
“SFELAPCO, have you submitted a refund scheme and when will this refund be given back to the power consumers? I intend to get to the bottom of this issue so that the power consumers, who are tired of paying high electricity rates, will get their refund as soon as possible,” Tulfo stressed.
The senator sought the creation of an “Appropriate Committee of the Senate to Undertake an Inquiry in Aid of Legislation on the Alleged Violation of SFELAPCO in Including the Power Supply Agreement in the Retail Rates without the Approval of the Energy Regulatory Commission.”
For his part, SFELAPCO senior vice president and general manager Jose Lazatin told the committee that the distribution utility entered into the said PSA with APRI on December 5, 2012, and applied for its approval with the ERC on January 2, 2013.
However, the application hasn’t been acted upon by the ERC until now.
“Because of this, we were compelled to implement the new PSA. This, Honorable Chair, is still in adherence with the ERC guidelines. We made this decision with the best interest of our consumers in mind who have benefitted from the lowest electricity rates in the area,” he said.
He added that the move also helped keep electricity rates low and stable amid a global energy crisis.
"Lagi po namin inuuna kung ano ang makakabuti para sa aming mga consumers," Lazatin said.
He added that the company is ready to sit down and work together with stakeholders to lower electricity rates.
“We are willing to participate in a discussion on how we can all work together to lower electricity rates. Sana po ay matulungan po ninyo kaming maipagpatuloy ang pagbibigay ng quality service sa abot-kayang presyo sa aming mga kababayan sa Pampanga,” he said.