Group pushes Meralco to drop fossil-fuel plants for renewables | ABS-CBN

ADVERTISEMENT

dpo-dps-seal
Welcome, Kapamilya! We use cookies to improve your browsing experience. Continuing to use this site means you agree to our use of cookies. Tell me more!

Group pushes Meralco to drop fossil-fuel plants for renewables

Group pushes Meralco to drop fossil-fuel plants for renewables

Jekki Pascual,

ABS-CBN News

Clipboard

Protesters troop to the Meralco branch in Kamuning, Quezon City on July 1, 2024, to criticize the firm’s move to source power from fossil fuel plants. Jekki Pascual, ABS-CBN News 

MANILA - A consumer group criticized Meralco on Tuesday saying the company's move to tap fossil-fuel power plants would lead to higher prices.

Meralco however, disputed the claim saying its power bidding was transparent. 

The Power for People Coalition (P4P) trooped to the Meralco branch in Kamuning, Quezon City to protest against the firm’s contracts to source power from fossil fuel plants saying it leads to higher electricity bills. The group said Meralco should instead source from renewable energy plants.

Partido Lakas ng Masa President Leody de Guzman, who led the protest, said the country’s largest power distributor should not get power supply from sources that affect climate change. He added that the new power supply contacts are also expected to raise electricity prices in the country.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Pagkukunan ng panggatong ay fossil fuel, liquified natural gas, at saka coal- mga source ng kuryente na yan ay proven na napakamahal kasi imported,” said de Guzman.

(They will use fossil fuel, liquified natural gas, and coal— sources of power that are proven to be expensive because it is imported.)



De Guzman was referring to Meralco’s power contracts with fossil fuel plants of Aboitiz Power and San Miguel Corporation which reportedly cover 3 gigawatts of power for 15 years. The group filed a petition before the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) last July 1, 2024. The petition seeks to veto the said contracts.

“Matatali na naman ang ating mamayanan sa napakataas na presyo ng kuryente. Maapektuhan hindi lamang kami manggagawa kundi pati mga maliliit na negosyante mahihirapan,” he added.

(The people will be tied to higher electricity rates. This will not only affect us workers, but also small businesses too.)

"May renewable energy naman na napakamura, halos kalahati ang presyo na mawawala doon sa kasakuluyang presyo ngayon. Mag create pa ng trabaho, malinis pa," De Guzman added.

(There are renewable energy providers that can cut costs by half, which will create jobs and are much cleaner.)

Meralco however rejected what it calls are baseless claims made by P4P. The company said that they are committed to sourcing the least cost available through a competitive selection process (CSP) which is transparent and follows the standards set by the government.

“The CSPs involve an open and competitive process with the ultimate goal to secure the lowest bid from qualified generation companies, with no preferential treatment,” said Meralco Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications Joe Zaldarriaga.

Zaldarriaga added that all their CSPs comply with the policies of the Department of Energy and the ERC. He assured the public that all power supply contracts undergo a strict review and approval from ERC.

ADVERTISEMENT

TNVS drivers call on LTFRB anew to enforce rule on mandatory discounts

TNVS drivers call on LTFRB anew to enforce rule on mandatory discounts

Andrea Taguines,

ABS-CBN News

Clipboard

Grab signs in a mall in Pasig City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/FileGrab signs in a mall in Pasig City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA — A group of Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) drivers appealed to regulators anew on Wednesday to make ride-hailing firms shoulder the full cost of the mandatory 20-percent discount for senior citizens, Persons with Disabilities (PWD), and students.

“Ang mga driver/operator po, maliit lang ang kinikita nyan. Bakit kailangan pang ipapasan ang mga discount na ito?” said Laban TNVS President Jun De Leon during a rally outside the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) office in Quezon City.

“Non-negotiable na po sa atin ang mandatory discounts. Dapat po, 100 percent, sagutin ito ng Transport Network Company (TNC),” he added.

LTFRB Chairman Teofilo Guadiz earlier said that based on Memorandum Circular 2015-016-A, TNCs should absorb these passenger discounts as part of the conditions of acquiring a franchise.

ADVERTISEMENT

But some TNCs continue to pass it on to their partner drivers, or at least split the cost with them in the case of dominant player Grab Philippines— on the basis of a different LTFRB memo issued in 2018 which states that public utility operators and drivers should grant the discount.

In a previous interview with ABS-CBN News in December, Guadiz said that provision only applies to public utility jeepneys and buses.

In an effort to clear up the confusion, he said the LTFRB would issue a new order that would also lay down standards on how these discounts should be applied so as not to inconvenience passengers from vulnerable groups.

Up to now, though, the LTFRB has yet to issue any order.

“The issue boils down to sino ang magkukuha or aako nung discount na yan, is it the TNC like Grab? Or is it the operator, yung may-ari ng sasakyan, or is it the driver?” said Guadiz during his latest press conference on Tuesday.

Laban TNVS expressed frustration over this, saying the LTFRB is seemingly changing its initial stance.

“Hindi ko alam kung bakit biglang nagbago ang ihip ng hangin sa sinasabi ni Chairman Guadiz… Ang sinasabi po nila ay pag-aaralan nila ito. Ano pa ba ang dapat pag-aralan? Maliwanag po sa Memorandum Circular, hindi na po dapat palitan,” insisted De Leon.

New entrants in the four-wheeled ride-hailing market, Lalamove and Pure Ride, are also waiting for an LTFRB memo so they can ensure proper compliance.

Lalamove, which launched Lalamove Ride in early February, told ABS-CBN News that, at least for now, it is shouldering majority of the passenger discount while implementing a lower commission rate for drivers.

“In the absence of a memorandum circular, minabuti na po naming magtake ng initiative na majority share si Lalamove, 60% ng discounts are shouldered by Lalamove and then 40% are shouldered by the drivers,” said Lalamove Philippines Managing Director Djon Nacario.

“But please take note, 2% commission lang yung ino-offer namin… At the end of the day, 98% nung fare yung maiuuwi ng ating partner drivers,” he added, saying the firm has one of, if not, the lowest commission rate in the industry.

Nacario also said that should the LTFRB order them to absorb the full cost of the discount, Lalamove would also be prepared to comply.

Meanwhile, Pure Ride, which began operations last February 14, is proposing a 50-50 share with drivers once its 10 percent commission rate takes effect.

“Kunyari sa start we got 0 commission. Ibig sabihin, wala naman kaming nakuha, so the entire 20% would be on the driver which is fair enough. Now when we start getting 10%, dapat 10% lang din yung magiging cover namin (sa discount),” said Pure Ride Chief Operating Officer Edison Go Tan during the firm’s pre-launch media briefing in Makati last February 11.

“Pero siyempre kung sasabihin ng LTFRB talagang icha-charge nila sa TNC, wala kaming magagawa,” assured Tan.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

It looks like you’re using an ad blocker

Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker on our website.

Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker on our website.