Ilocos Norte board seeks clarification on NGCP’s pass-on costs to consumers

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff reporter

LAOAG CITY—Ilocos Norte Officials and residents want clarification on the recovery of more than PHP327 million which the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) plans to pass on to its consumers in Luzon.

Sponsored by the committee of the whole, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan passed a resolution asking the management of NGCP to make a full disclosure of its request to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for a provisional approval for the collection of the force majeure pass-through costs from its customers in Luzon. The collection, if approved, will take effect on 2018 to 2020, or until NGCP fully recovers the total amount.

Ilocos Norte Vice Governor and SP presiding officer Eugenio Angelo M. Barba said “Electric consumers here need to be enlightened why is there a need for them to shoulder the costs NCGP incurred from the damages caused by typhoon Nina in December 2016”.

When sought for comment, Lilibeth Gaydowen, NGCP corporate communications and public affairs officer explained that under the rules for the setting of transmission wheeling rates, the law allows NGCP to recover the expenses it incurred from typhoon damages as the law considers this as a “force majeure” or an avoidable incident.

Once approved by the ERC, NGCP will collect the total amount of PHP327,520,000 from end-consumers on installment basis.

But before the pass-on charges take effect, officials and consumers expect the ERC to call a public hearing inviting all local government units concerned to participate.

“The NGCP is open [to] a dialogue. During the typhoon Nina, there were minor damages in Ilocos Norte but NGCP incurred damages Luzon-wide. It’s like a spider web, when one is broken, it affects the whole,” said Ms. Gaydowen citing “It all depends on the ERC on what computation to follow.”

She also assured consumers the NGCP has “no right to recover the amount without the approval of the ERC”.

To recover the amount, the grid operator will charge an additional PHP0.83 per kilowatt (kwh) a month in 2018, PHP0.86 per kwh a month in 2019, and PHP0.90 per kwh a month in 2020.

Earlier, the Benguet provincial board filed a resolution blocking the NGCP request to the ERC to allow the collection of more than PHP327 million from Luzon consumers.

NGCP incurred the said amount for the repair of transmission lines previously damaged by the typhoon.

Comments

Free dormitories eyed for Nueva Era students in LC, Batac

Nueva Era mayor Aldrin Garvida By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Nueva Era , Ilocos Norte—The municipal government here, headed by Nueva Era mayor Aldrin Garvida is planning to establish dormitories in the cities of Laoag and Batac that will exclusively cater to college students from the said cities. “Sapay la kuma ta maituloyen iti mabiit tay ar-arapaapen tayo ken iti munisipyo a maipatakderan kuma dagiti annak tayo a college students nga agbasbasa idiay siyudad iti Batac ken Laoag iti libre a dormitoryo a bukod da ngem inggana nga awan pay ket an-anusan mi paylaeng nga ibaklay kenni apo bise mayor iti pagbayad da iti kasera aggapu iti bukod mi a suweldo malaksid dagitay it-ited iti munisipyo ken iti barangay nga stipend da kada semester, ” Garvida said. Garvida added that the proposed establishment of dormitories would be a big help to the students’ parents as this would shoulder the expenses of their children for rent and likewise they would feel more secured

Empanada festival: A celebration of good taste and good life

By Dominic B. dela Cruz & Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporters BATAC CITY—If there is one thing Batac is truly proud of, it would be its famous empanada-making business that has nurtured its people over the years. Embracing a century-old culture and culinary tradition, Batac’s empanada claims to be the best and tastiest in the country with its distinctive Ilokano taste courtesy of its local ingredients: fresh grated papaya, mongo, chopped longganisa, and egg. The crispy orange wrapper and is made of rice flour that is deep-fried. The celebration of this city’s famous traditional fast food attracting locals and tourists elsewhere comes with the City Charter Day of Batac every 23 rd of June. Every year, the City Government of Batac led by Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta commemorate the city’s charter day celebration to further promote its famous One-Town, One Product, the Batac empanada. Empanada City The Batac empanada festival has already become an annua

P29 per kilo rice sold to vulnerable groups in Ilocos region

BBM RICE. Residents buy rice for only PHP29 per kilo at the NIA compound in San Nicolas town, Ilocos Norte province on Sept. 13, 2024. The activity was under a nationwide pilot program of the government to sell quality and affordable rice initially to the vulnerable sectors. (Lei Adriano) San Nicolas , Ilocos Norte —Senior citizens, persons with disability, and solo parents availed of cheap rice sold at PHP29 per kilogram during the grand launching of the Bagong Bayaning Magsasaka (BBM) Rice held at the National Irrigation Administration compound in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte province on Sept. 13, 2024. “ Maraming salamat Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. sa inyong pagmamahal sa Region 1 lalong-lalo na sa bayan namin sa San Nicolas,” said Violeta Pasion, a resident Brgy. 18 Bingao in this town. The low-priced grains were sourced from the National Irrigation Administration’s (NIA) contract farming with irrigators' association members in the province. Along with Pasion, Epi

The Ilocos Times

Search This Blog