Miagao seeks inclusion in MORE Power expansion

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The local government of Miagao is seeking inclusion in the franchise expansion of MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power), the sole electricity distributor in Iloilo City.

On Monday, Aug. 4, the Sangguniang Bayan of Miagao adopted a resolution urging 1st District Rep. Janette Garin to initiate legislative action to include Miagao—and ideally the entire 1st District of Iloilo—in MORE Power’s expanded franchise.

“Residents and consumers of the 1st District are entitled to fair and competitive access to reliable and affordable electricity services,” the resolution stated.

“It is the collective desire of the constituents to benefit from the same improved quality of service currently enjoyed by consumers in areas already served by MORE Power,” it added.

At present, the 1st District is served by Iloilo I Electric Cooperative Inc. (ILECO I).

Department of Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, a native of Guimbal—one of ILECO I’s franchise areas—is the sister-in-law of Rep. Janette Garin.

Sangguniang Bayan Member Carlu Napulan, chair of the Committee on Public Utilities, Information, and Communication, emphasized that MORE Power offers significantly lower residential electricity rates, better customer service, modern infrastructure, and faster response times to outages compared to ILECO I.

Napulan filed the resolution seeking the district’s transition to MORE Power.

In July 2025, MORE Power recorded the lowest residential electricity rate in Western Visayas at PHP10.61 per kilowatt-hour.

This rate was lower than that of ILECO I, which posted PHP12.05 per kilowatt-hour.

The resolution follows the Supreme Court’s denial with finality of the motions for reconsideration filed by the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, ILECO I, and related cooperatives challenging Republic Act No. 11918.

The Court ruled that electric cooperatives do not have a constitutional right to an exclusive franchise within their service areas.

RA 11918 expanded MORE Power’s franchise to include 15 municipalities and Passi City—previously under ILECO’s exclusive franchise coverage.

MORE Power earlier told Daily Guardian that it plans to begin its expansion in Pavia, a town in Iloilo’s 2nd District, where it already has power poles and primary lines.

The company is awaiting a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) from the Energy Regulatory Commission, along with other necessary permits, before it can begin full operations in newly covered areas.

The CPCN is expected to be granted this year, following its final hearing in June.