Exactly 24,203 member-consumer-owners of the First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative, Inc. (FICELCO) are covered by the moratorium of electricity line disconnections and payment collections ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. due to the effects of Severe Tropical Storm “Kristine.”
Last week, FICELCO management announced that effective Nov. 1, 2024, it is suspending disconnections of residential and non-residential consumers in the island province with a monthly power consumption not exceeding 200 kilowatt-hours (kWh) for non-payment of bills for the billing period of October 2024 until December 2024.
Likewise, the covered consumers will be allowed to pay their monthly bills on a staggered basis for a period of at least six (6) months from the issuance of the statement of account for each bill.
Consumers whose consumption exceed 200 kWh, who number an additional 4,111 accounts, may also avail of alternative payment schemes on terms that are mutually agreeable to both the cooperative and the consumers.
Consumers are encouraged to contact FICELCO to inquire about the available alternative payment options or to request special terms to settle outstanding bills.
Like the rest of electric cooperatives in areas where a State of Calamity has been declared due to the widespread devastation wrought by STS “Kristine,” FICELCO is implementing the disconnection moratorium and flexible payment of power bills in response to an advisory of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
It may be recalled that Pres. Marcos urged the Commission to study the implementation of a moratorium on electricity line disconnections and payment collections in the wake of the storm, with the latter measure intended to help ease the financial burden on consumers as they work toward recovery from the effects of storm.
The same advisory urged the power generators, the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM), the National Power Corporation (NPC), the National Transmission Corporation (TransCo), the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), Independent Power Producers (IPPs), Independent Power Producer Administrators (IPPAs) and the Market Operator (MO) to extend the same payment scheme to the affected Distribution Utilities (Dus) only insofar as the latter’s collections from the affected consumers.
Pursuant to the advisory, the DUs shall segregate payments from the affected consumers to determine the amounts to be paid on a similar staggered basis to their respective power suppliers, PSALM, NPC, TRANSCO, NGCP, IPPs, IPPAs and MO, with the cooperatives still entitled to the Prompt Payment Discount (PPD) in accordance with the parties’ approved supply contract.
It is surmised that just like during the COVID pandemic when similar measures were implemented, only a few MCOs would be availing of the flexible payment of power bills.
In a related development, just a week after it shut down power supply as a preventive measure during the passage of “Kristine,” FICELCO has fully restored electricity to all 40,589 consumer connections in 315 barangays as of Oct. 31, 2024.
According to its power monitoring report issued by the office of General Manager Engr. Francis A. Gianan on said date, full restoration was first achieved in Bato on Oct. 26, followed by San Miguel on Oct. 27; Baras, Caramoran, Gigmoto, Pandan, and San Andres on Oct. 28; Viga and Virac on Oct. 29; and Panganiban and Bagamanoc on Oct. 31.