MORE Power’s history in the making

By Herbert Vego

A still unborn generation of Ilonggos will look back to the day (yesterday morning) when MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power) buried a cylindrical contraption, popularly known as time capsule. It contains coins, paper money, newspapers, and other items reminiscent of the distribution utility’s first two years and a half of operation.

A time capsule is a historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a deliberate method of communication with future people.

The occasion also served as a ground-breaking ceremony marking the installation of the new 33-megavolt-amperes (MVA) substation for the Iloilo City Proper at the old Gen. Luna site.

Until its installation by the reputable Hansei Corporation (a 32-year-old engineering firm), a 20-MVA old one acquired from the previous utility had held on until it conked out in January this year.

“We are dedicating this project to our Almighty God,” declared MORE Power President Roel Z. Castro, thankful on behalf of the more than 86,000 customers enjoying its services.

The substation is one of the three new substations acquired by MORE Power in a span of two and a half years.

The third one was still “floating,” Castro said, referring literally to the newest mobile substation now on board a ship from Turkey and expected to arrive in September. leadi

So far, MORE Power has almost exhausted ₱1.5 billion in capital expenditure. At least ₱1 billion more has to be added to complete rehabilitation work that would result in modernization of facilities and services in another two years and a half.

By operation of law (RA 11212) MORE Power holds a 25-year-franchise as the exclusive distribution utility in the entire Iloilo City.

An amendment to that law, Act 11918, will expand MORE Power’s coverage to Passi City and 15 municipalities – namely Pavia, Sta. Barbara, Alimodian, Leon, San Miguel, New Lucena, Zarraga, Leganes, Dumangas, Barotac Nuevo, Dingle, Dueñas, Banate, Anilao, San Enrique and Passi City – placing it in competition with Iloilo Electric Co. (ILECO).

It is no secret that the residents of the aforesaid places had asked their congressmen to sponsor a bill asking for MORE’s entry because of its “lowest rates”.

Castro told his audience that while he had no full control of the rates, “we always look for the lowest rates in the market.”

Probably still unknown to some power consumers, MORE Power does not produce electricity but buys it from generating utilities.

The company has a trading center that monitors the daily movement of energy prices, thus enabling it to buy and sell at the lowest cost. It is therefore impossible for him to please customers demanding much lower billings.

“If I was Putin,” he joked, referring to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, “I would make sure that the problem is solved.”

Castro likened the modernization being implemented by MORE Power to the evolution of motor vehicles. The primitive ones had to be manually cranked to get started.  Where the carburetor used to supply fuel to a combustion engine, it is now done by “direct injection”. The future car is expected to rely on electricity to run.

Responding on behalf of Mayor Jerry Treñas, executive assistant Francis Cruz said that sufficient and affordable power has drawn business enterprises, notably the call centers, to relocate to Iloilo City.

If I guess right, Sir Roel must be thinking of relocating his family in Metro Manila to Iloilo City, too.

-oOo-

DOES ASPIRIN PREVENT HEART DISEASE?

MY doctor recently advised me to always carry low-dose aspirin because it is a “life saver”. In addition to relieving ordinary aches and pains, he said it has powerful effects in neutralizing blood clots that play a major role in heart attacks and other forms of coronary heart disease.

I “googled” as he suggested and found out that the usual immediate cause of heart attack is a blood clot forming next to a fatty deposit in the wall of a coronary artery. Numerous research studies have proven that aspirin (and also some similar drugs), because of its ability to prevent blood clots, may prevent heart attacks when given early enough.

While we don’t fully understand how aspirin accomplishes this, we do know at least a couple of ways it works. First, aspirin lessens the “stickiness” (called platelet inhibition) of blood platelets, which are a key component of clots. Second, aspirin reduces inflammation, which is another important component of clot formation in diseased coronary arteries.

A note of caution though on this over-the-counter drug: There are people who should not take aspirin because of bleeding disorders or gastrointestinal ulcers. They should not take aspirin without first consulting a medical professional.