PANAY ELECTRIC Company, Inc.’s (PECO) operations in the last eight years has improved, according to a study commissioned to a Singapore-based firm, but the review did not include the customer service aspect. The business sector group Iloilo Economic Development Foundation (ILED), which commissioned the study, said in a statement that it has received the final report of professional services consultancy firm WSP on the state of PECO’s distribution network. The WSP 2018 report concluded that: PECO’s network performance has improved significantly since 2010; however, the service provided to its franchisees lags behind what distribution utilities in key Philippine cities — Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao — provide; the gap widens even more when compared with those in the ASEAN region; recommendations made in 2010 have been implemented but not in full. ILED Executive Director Francisco Gentoral said the study is crucial as “it offers an independent, objective, and global view of PECO’s network performance and the quality of its asset and system platform.” Mr. Gentoral added, “ILED, in line with its mission to promote Iloilo as a preferred investment destination, emphasizes the urgency for world-class and not just better electricity service. In this regard, it seeks for the full and immediate implementation of the recommendations as set forth in this WSP 2018 report, recognizing that what the report recommends are just the minimum steps a distribution utility should take to serve its stakeholders.” PECO’s franchise is due to expire in 2019 and its application for renewal is up for review in Congress. — Louine Hope U. Conserva

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