The Need to Expand MORE Power’s Coverage

By Herbert Vego

AS reported for this paper by Joseph Bernard A. Marzan, there’s a good chance for MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) to expand its coverage to the towns of Guimbal, Igbaras, Miag-ao, Oton, San Joaquin, Tigbauan, and Tubungan in the 1st District of Iloilo.

To quote the report, no less than Congresswoman Janette Garin “has expressed openness to expanding MORE Power franchise.”

Such “openness” stems from a February 7, 2025 resolution of a local consumer group, Bantay ng Bayan-101 (BNB-101), as revealed by its spokesman, Warren Briones.

As the incumbent barangay chairman of barangay Buyuan, Tigbauan as well, Briones knows his constituents’ needs.

“We, the consumers of the 1st District,” said the resolution, “deserve the same access to affordable and reliable electricity as other areas now served by MORE Power.”

To recall, MORE Power was granted an expanded franchise under Republic Act 11918, which took effect in August 2022, allowing it to operate in 15 municipalities apart from its base in Iloilo City.

“MORE Power’s rates for residential consumers and generation charges have consistently been lower than ILECO I,” the resolution said. “It is unfair that we are left out when many of us struggle with high electricity costs.”

“More providers, the better,” Rep. Garin texted the Daily Guardian in reaction to the resolution. “Competition is very much welcome. The economies of scale will surely bring down the price of power.”

This columnist agrees. Providing a competitor to the Iloilo Electric Cooperative (ILECO-1) would be a step in the collaborative direction because of the rapid increase of electricity consumers in Garin’s constituency.

Fact check: The National Electrification Administration (NEA) has classified ILECO-1 as an “extra-large cooperative” with 175,000 customers; hence, finding them too large to keep track of.

MORE Power, on the other hand, handles a comparatively low number of 100,000-plus customers in Iloilo City.  Thus, it is prepared to expand.

You see, aside from the seven municipalities of the 1st District, ILECO-1 also energizes Alimodian, Leganes, Leon, New Lucena, Pavia, San Miguel, Sta. Barbara and Zarraga in the 2nd District; as well as Anilao, Banate, Barotac Nuevo, Dingle, Dueñas, Dumangas, San Enrique and Passi City in the 4th District.

The good news is that households of the aforementioned towns may now also patronize MORE Power by virtue of the new law (RA 11918) extending its franchise coverage. According to the company’s President/CEO Roel Z. Castro, it would take around five years to complete the expansion program.

Needless to say, this timetable would give ILECO a good chance to improvise in preparation for competition.

“Without competition,” the Supreme Court ruled in a decision upholding the aforesaid franchise expansion, “ILECOs can easily dictate the price of electricity. Allowing the entry of another player thus benefits consumers, who no longer have to wait until ILECOs’ franchises expire.”

To recall, MORE Power’s expansion franchise under RA 11918 — which is an amendment to RA 11212 that limits MORE Power’s coverage to Iloilo City – came about as a result of House Bill (HB) No. 10306, filed by Congressmen Michael Gorriceta of the 2nd District and Braeden John Biron of the 4th District in 2021.

To understand why the Bantay ng Bayan-101 of Tigbauan passed a resolution requesting Rep. Garin to push for MORE Power’s entry into the 1st District, let me echo the statement of its spokesman, Warren Briones: “We deserve the same access to affordable and reliable electricity as other areas now served by MORE Power.”

As retired Provincial Prosecutor Rolando Nielo, 87, wished in a Facebook post on January 20, 2025, “Now na seguro maka ambit kami kang MORE efficient electricity service.”