Tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan’s Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is considering extending its services into Albay, and potentially beyond Metro Manila and its neighboring provinces. The move follows a request from Albay officials for Mercalco’s help in resolving ongoing power reliability problems that have affected consumers in the province.
Meralco chief external and government affairs officer Arnel Casanova said several Albay mayors approached the company over recurring power outages, stating the unreliability of the electricity supply has made it harder to attract new investments.
“They were having difficulty because businesses that are planning to move into their municipalities are unable to invest due to the unreliability of power,” Casanova said.
The Albay Electric Cooperative (Aleco) is the province’s current power distributor. Casanova said Mercalco has been urged to explore opportunities in Albay and help improve its services, with the company considering a possible investment proposal.
“Hopefully, Aleco will be welcoming us to provide us with the necessary information so we could make a better proposal,” he said.
The country’s largest power distributor, Meralco, provides more electricity than eight million customers across Metro Manila and nearby provinces. As part of its expansion strategy, the company has been pursuing joint ventures with electric cooperatives nationwide, including those in Batangas and South Cotabato, to further improve its power distribution services.
Casanova clarified that these partnerships are not takeovers. Instead, Meralco would invest and hold effective control of the board, while the electric cooperative would continue handling day-to-day operations in its franchise area.
“If the people managing it are already capable, then we will just upgrade their capabilities. We are not taking over the cooperative; we are going to empower them,” Casanova states /Phoemella Contreras
