For a friendly MORE Power-ILECO 1 competition

By Herbert Vego

IT is only a matter of time before MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) gets another legislative franchise – this time to expand its electricity-distribution service to the seven municipalities of the 1st District of Iloilo – Igbaras, Tubungan, Oton, Tigbauan, Guimbal, Miag-ao and San Joaquin.

In effect, MORE Power is headed for a friendly competition in that area with Iloilo 1 Electric Cooperative (ILECO 1).

This is because the House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading Rep. Janette Garin’s House Bill 7647, further expanding MORE Power’s franchise area.

It has already been forwarded to the Senate for corresponding hearings, after which it will be sent to the Office of the President for final approval into law.

The bill, Garin told the media, is aimed at enabling her constituents “to benefit from the fast, reliable, and modern electric power distribution services that MORE Power has been known to deliver.”

She filed House Bill 7647 on Nov. 24, 2025, in answer to public clamor for more efficient service and cheaper power rates.

As reported yesterday by our editor in chief, Francis Allan L. Angelo, the House passed the bill on Tuesday, with 247 lawmakers voting in favor, four opposing and no abstentions.

It is an amendment to Republic Act (RA) No. 11212, which awarded MORE Power a franchise to distribute electric power to Iloilo City, and to RA 11918, which expanded its franchise to include 15 municipalities and Passi City in the province of Iloilo.

The 15 municipalities are Alimodian, Leganes, Leon, New Lucena, Pavia, San Miguel, Santa Barbara, Zarraga, Anilao, Banate, Barotac Nuevo, Dingle, Dueñas, Dumangas and San Enrique, plus Passi City.

Take note that six of them – Alimodian, Leganes, Leon, San Miguel, Pavia and Santa Barbara – are already being served by ILECO 1. Therefore, the MORE Power – ILECO 1 competition has already kicked off in these service areas, notably in Pavia where some ILECO 1 customers have already shifted to MORE Power, where the latter’s power lines have emerged.

The other towns are either with ILECO 2 (Passi City, Barotac Nuevo, Dingle, Dueñas, Dumangas, San Enrique and Zarraga) or ILECO 3 (Anilao, Banate, Barotac Viejo, San Rafael, Ajuy, Concepcion, Sara, Lemery, San Dionisio, Batad, Balasan, Estancia and Carles).

MORE Power took over the previous Iloilo City franchisee on Feb. 28, 2020.

The Iloilo City-based Institute of Contemporary Economics (ICE), in a position paper submitted to the Senate Committee on Public Services on March 6, 2026, cited improvements including a reduction in distribution system losses from approximately 30% or more to approximately 6% to 7%, along with a multibillion-peso rehabilitation and modernization program enabled by access to private financing.

To quote ICE Executive Director Joseph “Bonnie” Ladrido, “While electric cooperatives were originally established to bring electricity to rural areas and have contributed significantly to expanding electricity access throughout the country, they often face structural constraints in mobilizing capital for large-scale infrastructure modernization and network rehabilitation.”

In fairness, the management of ILECO 1 has already accepted the reality of competition with MORE Power without saying a word for or against it in public.

On the Aksyon Radyo program “Tribuna sang Banwa” last Sunday, two ILECO 1 officials told program host Nermie Camiña that they remained forward-looking.

Lynly Torreblanca, the cooperative’s institutional services management manager, announced their preparation for its Annual General Membership Assembly (AGMA) in May to address the complaints and suggestions of member-consumers.

Jectofer Arlos, head of the Finance Services Department, said they had acquired funds to expand to remote sitios that are still unenergized.

Wow! That reminds us of a quotation made famous by the late General Electric (GE) Chair Jack Welch: “If you don’t have a competitive advantage, don’t compete.”