<\/p>\n
MANILA Electric Co. (Meralco) is exploring a possible partnership with Albay Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Aleco) after local officials sought the corporate\u2019s assistance in improving electricity distribution services within the province.<\/span><\/p>\n Arnel P. Casanova, Meralco senior vice-president and head of strategic distribution utility partnerships, told reporters last week that local leaders in Albay had asked the corporate to assist Aleco address persistent power supply issues.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThey are saying they’re struggling because businesses planning to maneuver into their municipalities are unable to speculate as a result of unreliable power supply,\u201d Mr. Casanova said.<\/p>\n Aleco is a member-owned electric cooperative serving three cities and 15 municipalities in Albay.<\/p>\n Mr. Casanova said Albay\u2019s mayors had encouraged Meralco to evaluate the province\u2019s power distribution system and explore ways to enhance Aleco\u2019s services.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re studying that and hopefully, Aleco shall be welcoming us to supply us with the obligatory information so we could make a greater proposal,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Meralco, the country\u2019s largest private electric distribution utility, serves greater than 8.2 million customers in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, including Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, and parts of Laguna, Batangas, Pampanga, and Quezon.<\/span><\/p>\n The corporate is pursuing the chance after its unsolicited proposal to partner with South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Socoteco II) was rejected. Socoteco II\u2019s board as a substitute endorsed a competing proposal from Ignite Power, backed by Primelectric Holdings, Inc.<\/p>\n Mr. Casanova said Meralco had sent a letter urging Socoteco II to conduct a competitive selection process to make sure transparency.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be sure that the method shall be more transparent, we encourage them to truly bid it out,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Individually, Mr. Casanova said Meralco intends to take part in the planned public bidding for a non-public sector partner of Batangas II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Batelec) after its board approved the conduct of the bidding.<\/span><\/p>\n Batelec said the bidding would offer the governance framework for evaluating proposals for personal sector participation in its electricity distribution business.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel they\u2019re finalizing the terms of reference, so we\u2019re waiting for that. We\u2019ll wait for that after which we\u2019ll see. We\u2019ll definitely take part in the bidding,\u201d Mr. Casanova said.<\/p>\n Meralco\u2019s controlling stakeholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., is partly owned by PLDT Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Useful Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld<\/i> through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. \u2014 Sheldeen Joy Talavera<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" PHILIPPINE STAR\/EDD GUMBAN MANILA Electric Co. (Meralco) is exploring a possible partnership with Albay Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Aleco) after local officials sought the corporate\u2019s assistance in improving electricity distribution services within the province. Arnel P. Casanova, Meralco senior vice-president and head of strategic distribution utility partnerships, told reporters last week that local leaders in Albay […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":372123,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[29272,54257,7024,1589,11397,3685,11294],"class_list":["post-372122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-albay","tag-cotabato","tag-expansion","tag-meralco","tag-setback","tag-south","tag-studies"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t