Protest against Fibeco averted

Cesar Gorillo .

THE meeting called by the First Bukidnon Electric Cooperative (Fibeco) last June 26, 2018 at the Fibeco Compound at Maramag, Bukidnon was attended by all the mayors or their representatives of the affected towns of San Fernando, Valencia City, Quezon, Don Carlos, Kitaotao, Dangcagan, Kibawe, Damulog, Kadingilan, Kalilalangan, Pangantucan, Maramag, all in Bukidnon and the lone town of Lanao del Sur which is very near Bukidnon, Wao. But the most significant attendance of all was that of Gov. Jose Zubiri of Bukidnon and the two congressmen of the second and third districts of Bukdinon respectively,  Rep. Oneil Roque and Rep. Manuel Zubiri.

At first, management tried to explain all the charges, where the charges originated and the actual and projected kilowatt hour demand per year starting 2013 up to 2043. Gov. Zubiri listened to the presentation but I could sense that he was getting irritated with the presentations which tend to justify the 48-percent increase.

But surprises of all surprises, he told the presentor to cut-off and go directly to the very reason why the meeting was called. What are their justifications for the scandalous increase? Gov. Zubiri went on to tell the management that nowhere in the entire Philippines can you see that kind of scandalous increase of 48 percent in electricity rates; that Bukidnon is within a high poverty level, and he cannot allow any increase in electricity rates hard as they are in even feeding their families.

He asked the mayors individually and they told the audience that they could even hardly pay their millions in electric bills and they have nowhere to source the additional 48 percent.

He sought the immediate termination of whatever contracts the electric cooperative signed with Filinvest Development Corp. whose charges rose from the original P33 million to P96 million.

He also told the mayors to prepare at least 1,000 of their people for a possible rally to be conducted right in front of Fibeco if ever the demand for the reduction of the rates is not met.

He is agreeable to an increase of at least 10 percent but not beyond 15 percent.

In the succeeding open forum that followed, the biggest rice miller of Maramag, Rose Acosta said they are paying P174,000 in monthly electrical bills and with the 48-percent increase, they will have to pay P257,000 which will force them to close shop. Oliver Garcia, a Valencia councilor, sadly informed the audience that any increase in electricity rates will affect the charges of water because Valencia is relying on pumped water to supply the city.

There was tension during the meeting and Fibeco top management was dumbfounded at the massive, tsunami-like vehemence by which local government officials and top businessmen rejected such stratospheric rise in their charges.

I left earlier to attend a wedding but I got it from some of my friends who were left behind was that the final agreement should be a rate of P11 per kilowatt hour. But I have my reservations for this kind of rate because my computation in my bill shows that I was charged P10.75 per kilowatt hour and there seems to be no reduction.  Is it an 11-percent rate increase only or P11 per kilowatt hour charge?

Will keep our readers posted in my future column.

At least, for the moment, the planned massive rally was averted.