PHILSTAR

SENATOR SHERWIN T. Gatchalian, who leads the Senate’ energy committee, has asked the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to order distribution companies to hold off disconnections in areas under strict quarantine classifications. 

In an emailed statement on Thursday, he asked the commission to direct distribution utilities (DUs) to “replicate the move taken by Manila Electric Co. (Meralco),” which earlier announced that it will be implementing a ‘no disconnection’ policy until the third week of August to provide relief to consumers who have yet to settle their obligations.  

“We were able to implement the ‘no disconnection policy’ last year…This was a great help to consumers who only have enough to spend for their expenses. I hope that DUs will be considerate to our countrymen for the second time,” Mr. Gatchalian said in Filipino.  

The strictest quarantine category is in place over Metro Manila and several other areas where there has been a surge in coronavirus cases and the utilization rate of medical facilities are at critical level.  

Mr. Gatchalian also reiterated his call to local government units to allow the continued conduct of onsite meter readings to ensure the accuracy of electric power bills. 

“We don’t want a repeat of last year’s ‘bill shock.’ We’ve had enough of this in the past and both the consumers and the DUs should have learned from what happened,” he said.  

BusinessWorld has reached out to the ERC for its comments on the lawmaker’s statements, but it has not yet replied as of press time.  

In an advisory issued on Aug. 6, the Department of Energy appealed to power distributors to suspend disconnection activities in areas under lockdown. 

Meralco’s controlling stakeholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., is partly owned by PLDT, Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Angelica Y. Yang 

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