Malacañang is counting on state regulators to ensure any power and water rate hike imposed by companies will not be excessive and abusive to ensure the protection of consumer welfare.
Any increase in the water and electricity services must be reasonable based on existing laws, according to Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr.
“ The government is determined to protect the welfare of our people by ensuring any water and power rate hike will be reasonably priced,” Coloma said over government radio.
“It is the responsibility of the Energy Regulatory Commission and Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System to ensure any increase will not be excessive and will be based on existing laws through their supervision and regulation,” he added.
Coloma made the statement following reports of a planned rate hike of Maynilad next month. While Manila Water consumers will enjoy a rate cut, MWSS approved a R1.35 per cubic meter rate hike application of Maynilad to cover inflation costs and discontinuance of the currency exchange rate adjustment.
Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), meantime, will also reportedly implement another round rate increase this month.
The power firm had imposed an increase in generation charge last April due to the one-month maintenance shutdown of the Malampaya Natural Gas facility.
The shutdown supposedly forced the power plants, that supply Meralco with electricity, to use more expensive fuel.
The militant group Bayan Muna earlier filed a petition before the ERC seeking to stop the latest Meralco’s increase in generation charge. The group insisted that the power rate increase must be first studied and verified by the government.
Manila Bulletin
