How to lower the cost of electricity

"The new distribution utility in Iloilo has embarked on a no-nonsense campaign to do precisely this."

When one talks of electricity, there is absolutely no way of escaping the tragic truth of its high cost. The irony here is that while there may be several factors which contribute to the high cost, people are being penalized and made to pay for the additional cost which arises from power which they never use – instead, this was stolen and charged to us through systems loss.

Systems loss is almost everywhere. It is in shanties fully equipped with air conditioners, refrigerators, microwave ovens, electric stoves and irons, and other electric appliances, with residents enjoying electricity at other people’s expense.

Fortunately in Iloilo, the new distribution utility has embarked on a no-nonsense campaign to change the city of power pilferers.

In almost a month of continuous and diligent operations against illegal electric connections in the city of Iloilo, More Power already has collected quite a mountain of wirings or “jumper cables” in its warehouse.

It is estimated that if all the wirings are placed one after the other in a straight line, they would easily add up to 300 kilometers; if put on a weighing scale, they could weigh no less than 10 tons.

All of these wirings are measured and then labelled by More Power to be used as evidence in the investigation and eventual case that it would file. This will prove how prevalent power pilferage has been in the city of Iloilo during the incumbency of PECO as its power distribution firm.

To date, More Power claims it has already conducted its anti-jumper raids in 156 of the total 180 barangays in the city of Iloilo. So far, some 5,000 illegal connections to its secondary line have already been disconnected. 

And to discourage the perpetrators from reconnecting their jumper cables again, the power distribution firm has already placed almost 500 guards in areas where power pilferage has been observed to be prevalent.

Meanwhile, those 17 persons who were caught in the act of installing jumper cables have already been arrested and thereafter hauled to court. A stiff fine of P130,000 is needed for their temporary liberty.

More Power continues with its anti-illegal power connection in the remaining 24 barangays in the city of Iloilo in its desire to put a fitting end to power theft in the metropolis. This would redound well to a more stable power supply and lower charges for its consumers.

Also, the electric power distribution facility is now busy installing electric meters to the thousands who have since applied following the non-stop crackdown on illegal connections.

With minimal power pilferage, Ilonggos can now be assured of a lowered power rate.

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The lord is back.

Yesterday, a friend a I discussed businesses that have thrived and those that have folded up during this pandemic.

While the food and courier industries remain the biggest beneficiary under the present set-up when most people tend to shy away from personally picking up their groceries, there is actually one  business which, surprisingly, is currently making a killing – online sabong.

According to my friend, online sabong has taken advantage of the halt in operations of casinos and other gambling dens, catering to the “needs” of diehard gamblers.

And who else could be bold enough to operate this online sabong except for the only acknowledged lord of the lords (gambling lords that is), the one whose services President Rodrigo Duterte had earlier considered tapping in his campaign against illegal gambling.

According to my source, an average of 227 fights are held per day, with bettors coming from Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia.  

The lowest bet per fight, according to my friend, is P4 million. In regular cockfights, the operator takes a 10-percent cut for every bet. So, assuming the operator in this online sabong takes the same cut as in a regular cockfight, he gets an automatic P400,000 commission on a P4 million-bet per fight.

So, assuming again all the 227 fights per day generate a P4 million bet per fight, the operator earns no less than P90 million daily. He really isn’t called a lord for nothing.

They may share the same initials but no, he is not Arn-Arn.