Some three million customers of electric cooperatives will benefit from free electricity in March and April, according to National Center of Electric Cooperative Consumers Inc.
NCECCO chairman Rodrigo Sacedor said Thursday all 121 electric cooperatives operating nationwide have given their support to the Pantawid Liwanag program.
“With the solidarity and resilience of those who believe in the rural electrification movement, the Pantawid Liwanag has been supported unanimously by all electric cooperatives,” Sacedor said.
Pantawid Liwanag is a corporate social responsibility program initiated by the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association Inc. (PHILRECA). It is aimed at poor electricity consumers affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
Customers who consumed not more than 50 kilowatt-hours will be given free electricity for the months of March to April.
Sacedor said electric cooperatives gave their support even as they were facing difficulties amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Among these concerns are low power demand due to economic slowdown, deficient collection efficiencies due to quarantines and community lockdowns, high generation costs due to fixed charges and many more which generally affects the financial and overall operations of the ECs,” Sacedor said.
“What lifts us up in the One EC-MCO Movement to take and carry this emergency and huge share of responsibility is the fact that it is likewise an opportunity for the electric cooperatives to give back to our valued MCOs (member-consumer-owner),” Sacedor said.
“It delights us to see their uplifted spirits and hopeful positive mindsets amidst what we have gone through in this desperate time of global pandemic,” he added.
Sacedor lauded the National Association of General Managers of Electric Cooperatives and the Philippine Association of Board of Directors of Rural Electric Cooperatives for their support and cooperation.
“As always, our efforts joint together made our roles indispensable and essential to successfully combat various challenges in the past and most especially this distinctive yet complex battle against our imperceptible enemy COVID-19,” he said.