MANILA, Philippines — Around 2,000 residents in a town in Batangas signed a petition calling on its cooperative to allow Meralco to service their area.
In a statement, residents of Laiya in San Juan cited reliability issues concerning the Batangas II Electric Cooperative (Batelec II), as frequent power outages are affecting their livelihoods, as the town is heavily reliant on tourism.
A recent survey by Capstone Intel found that 93 percent of Batelec II consumers have been experiencing one to three hours of multiple power interruptions and that the community “endured prolonged and increasingly difficult conditions that have severely affected residents’ daily lives” and has compromised public safety.
“The petition outlines five key issues, foremost of which is the frequent and prolonged power outages, many of them unplanned and without prior notice. These disruptions have hampered work, online classes and livelihoods, causing widespread inconvenience and financial loss,” the statement read.
“Petitioners also cited unstable and unreliable power voltage, which has resulted in damage to household and business appliances such as refrigerators, electric fans, televisions and other essential equipment,” it added.
The petition also cited that consumers lamented poor customer service and inadequate maintenance of facilities.
It also questioned Batelec II’s capacity in meeting the area’s ongoing electricity demand, citing population growth and lack of clear measures in upgrading their infrastructure.
“The petition is a community driven effort, underscoring the residents’ unified and urgent demand for reliable and improved electricity service,” the petition said.
“We believe that Meralco’s entry into our barangay will provide reliable, stable and high quality electricity service — critical to sustained growth, safety and improved daily life in our community,” it added.