A UNIT owner of a condominium building has sought the intervention of Cebu City Hall over what he described as excessive electrical fees being collected by the building’s management following a power outage in February.
In an interview on Sunday, May 4, the complainant, who requested anonymity, said the Cebu Ultima Residences along Osmeña Blvd. experienced a power outage on Feb. 5 that lasted for about three days.
A generator was later provided but only powered one of the building’s six elevators.
The complainant further said that a week after the outage, the building’s board of directors (BOD) asked unit owners to contribute a total of P120,000 to purchase a larger generator.
The complainant said the new generator has not provided a stable power supply and is frequently affected by fluctuations. It was also placed at the main entrance and exit of the building, which has raised safety concerns among residents.
The complainant said his monthly electric bill has surged to more than P10,000, compared to his usual bill of about P2,500. He said the rising costs are a financial burden, especially as a retiree relying on his pension.
“They keep collecting money, but the money they say is just not enough,” the complainant told SunStar Cebu.
Developer’s defense
Meanwhile, Susan Bernardo of the Fuente Triangle Development Corp., developer of the Cebu Ultima Residences, said in a separate interview on Sunday, that Visayan Electric disconnected the power supply to the building when the homeowners failed to settle the P2.6 million unpaid dues.
She said the homeowners owed the developer P1.6 million worth of fuel since the aftermath of Typhoon Odette in December 2021, the reason why use of the genset was disconnected.
"Now they have their own genset placed in front of the building, which is a fire hazard," Bernardo pointed out.
Bernardo said the building has been handled by a BOD since 2018, which tapped Collier International Philippines Inc. to manage the property.
She said she suggested to the BOD that the developer resume operations to resolve the issue, but the offer was declined. (JPS)