Iloilo City council appoints 2 reps for power franchise congressional hearings

THE ILOILO City Council has unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the city government to intervene in the ongoing deliberations in Congress on the franchise for the city’s electricity distributor. The resolution names Mayor Jose S. Espinosa III and Councilor Joshua C. Alim as representatives. Panay Electric Company, Inc. (PECO), the current licensee, has a pending renewal application for its 25-year franchise that will expire Jan. 2019. A new player, More Minerals Corp. (MMC), already has its application approved at the committee level. Councilor R. Leoni N. Gerochi, chair of the committee on transportation, energy and public utilities and sponsor of the resolution, noted that stakeholders were not consulted on the MMC application. “The purpose of the resolution is to protect the consumers,” he said. “This is our biggest chance to institute reforms. If we are successful in this, in the next 25 years, it will be easier for the next generation to fight for it,” he added. — Louine Hope U. Conserva

https://www.bworldonline.com/iloilo-city-council-appoints-2-reps-for-power-franchise-congressional-hearings/