Lakawatsa Metro

25/09/2026

Malasakit na higit sa Serbisyo
SEY NI MANONG JOE - Joe Zaldarriaga - Pilipino Star Ngayon

Personal na nagtungo si MVP group Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan (MVP) sa kanyang hometown sa Apalit, Pam¬panga kamakailan upang maghatid ng tulong sa mga residenteng naapektuhan ng matinding pagbaha dulot ng Habagat.

Namahagi si MVP ng relief packs sa mga pamilyang pansamantalang lumikas dahil sa baha. Kasama ang MVP Tulong Kapatid at One Meralco Foundation na naghatid din ng karagdagang tulong para sa iba pang nangangailangang residente ng Apalit.

Ngunit higit pa sa mga relief pack ang mahalagang men¬sahe ng pagbisitang ito. Ipinakita nito ang malasakit na isa sa pagpapahalagang matagal nang bahagi ng kultura ng MVP group.

Nakita ko rin ito sa Balik Eskwela program ng One Meralco Foundation sa San Juan City. Mahigit 300 mag-aaral ng Salapan Integrated School ang nabigyan ng school supplies at reading book upang makatulong sa kanilang pag-aaral. Nakiisa rin dito ang aming mga empleyado bilang volunteers.

Pagbangon mula sa kalamidad sa Pampanga hanggang sa pagsuporta sa edukasyon ng mga bata sa San Juan, iisa ang prinsipyong gumagabay sa lahat ng programang ito.
Hindi lamang naipapakita sa sakuna ang malasakit. Hindi rin ito natatapos sa isang relief operation, donasyon, o outreach program. Mas nagiging makabuluhan ito kapag bahagi dapat ito ng ating paglilingkod.

Sa Meralco naman, hangad naming maipakita ang ma¬la¬sakit hindi lamang sa pagbibigay ng liwanag sa mga tahanan, kundi pati sa pagtulong na magkaroon ng mas maliwanag na kinabukasan ang mga komunidad dahil iyan ang aming dakilang tungkulin.

Bago ako magtapos nais kong pasalamatan ang Pangulo ng Philippine Star si Mr. Miguel Belmonte sa pagkakataon maging parte ng Pilipino Star Ngayon. Sisikapin ko na makapagsulat ng mga bagay na magiging kapaki-pakinabang sa mga nagbabasa ng aking kolum.

22/09/2026

Bakit Mas Mahal ang Kuryente sa mga Mahihirap na Rehiyon?

Yellow Alert na naman sa Visayas. Pero this time, hindi lang ito usapin ng kulang na supply. Usapin na rin ito ng fairness.

Noong September 21, inilagay ng NGCP ang Visayas grid sa Yellow Alert mula 4 p.m. hanggang 8 p.m. matapos bumaba ang available capacity sa 2,500 MW habang ang peak demand ay nasa 2,426 MW. Ibig sabihin, sobrang nipis ng supply margin.

Ang immediate cause: biglang nag-trip ang PEDC 2 plant. May kasabay pa itong forced outages sa ibang major plants, reduced imports from Mindanao, derated operations, at mas mataas na demand.

Sa kabuuan, nasa 859.8 MW ang hindi available sa grid.
Pero para kay Senate President Win Gatchalian, mas malaki ang issue. Bakit mas mataas ang binabayaran ng Visayas at Mindanao sa wholesale electricity prices kumpara sa Luzon?

Ayon kay Gatchalian, umabot sa ₱18.59 per kWh ang wholesale electricity prices sa Visayas at ₱19.56 per kWh sa Mindanao mula late July hanggang August. Sa Luzon, nasa ₱4.80 per kWh lang.
Diyan pumapasok ang masakit na punto: kung saan mas mataas ang poverty rate, doon pa mas mahal ang kuryente.

Kaya pinapaimbestigahan niya sa ERC ang power situation sa Visayas at Mindanao. Hindi lang kung bakit nagkukulang ang supply, kundi kung nasusunod ba ang reliability standards at kung may posibleng collusion, anti-competitive behavior, o market manipulation sa generation sector.

Hindi na rin ito isolated problem. Mula January 1 hanggang September 7, nakapagtala ang Visayas grid ng 33 red alerts at 96 yellow alerts. Kapag ganyan kadalas ang alerts, hindi na puwedeng sabihing simpleng aberya lang.

Sa dulo, consumers ang tinatamaan. Kapag kulang ang supply, tumataas ang pressure sa wholesale electricity prices. Kapag tumataas ito, puwedeng maramdaman sa singil ng households, negosyo, at ordinaryong consumers.

Ang tanong ngayon sa ERC: supply problem lang ba ito, o may problema rin sa pagbabantay sa power market?
Kulang na nga ang kuryente. Kung mas mahal pa ang singil dahil hindi maayos ang sistema, doble ang perwisyo sa consumers.

18/09/2026

POWER DISTRIBUTION NEEDS TO KEEP UP WITH A CHANGING ENERGY LANDSCAPE

The way Filipinos produce and consume electricity is changing. Rooftop solar systems are becoming more common, battery storage is advancing, and electric vehicles are adding new demands to the grid.

Meralco COO Ronnie Aperocho says the country’s distribution system must evolve with these changes.

That means moving beyond the traditional role of simply delivering electricity and reading meters. Distribution utilities will increasingly need smarter grids, digital monitoring, automation and infrastructure capable of handling electricity flowing from different sources.

Aperocho also stressed that modernization cannot focus on technology alone. Electricity must remain affordable while the grid becomes more reliable, resilient and sustainable.

As policymakers consider the next phase of reforms under EPIRA, the challenge is no longer simply how to supply electricity. It is how to build a distribution system capable of supporting the way Filipinos will produce, store and use energy in the years ahead.

18/09/2026

One Meralco Foundation Brings Balik Eskwela Support to San Juan Learners

More than 300 young learners from Salapan Integrated School in San Juan City received Balik Eskwela learning kits from One Meralco Foundation as part of its continuing support for public school students.

The initiative was led by One Meralco Foundation President Jeffrey Tarayao, together with Meralco employee-volunteers who spent time with students, parents, teachers, and school officials during the distribution activity.

Each learning kit was prepared for Kinder to Grade 2 pupils and included basic materials such as a tracing workbook, story book, flash cards, pencils, pencil case, and crayons. These are simple school tools, but for young learners, they help build confidence inside the classroom and support learning at home.

The activity also gave student athletes a special surprise. Players from the Meralco Bolts joined the program and turned over autographed basketballs, encouraging students to value both education and sports.

Aside from the learning kits, One Meralco Foundation also turned over reading nooks to Salapan Integrated School to help promote reading among young pupils. For early-grade learners, access to books and quiet reading spaces can make school feel more welcoming and learning more enjoyable.

The San Juan activity is part of One Meralco Foundation’s wider Balik Eskwela 2026 program, which aims to distribute more than 10,000 learning kits across the Meralco franchise area and beyond.

More than school supplies, the kits represent a practical kind of support: giving children the tools they need to start the school year ready, encouraged, and included.

14/09/2026

STARBUCKS RESERVE OPENS AT NAIA TERMINAL 3

Another welcome addition to the changing passenger experience at NAIA Terminal 3.

Starbucks Reserve™ has opened at the Departure Level 4 pre-departure area, giving travelers another place to have coffee, eat, work or simply relax while waiting for their flight.

This is not the usual airport coffee counter. The new store features a dedicated coffee brewing bar and a lounge-inspired space designed specifically for travelers who have some time before boarding.

For frequent flyers, additions like this matter. Terminal 3 has steadily expanded its selection of restaurants, cafés, lounges and other passenger amenities, making the time between check-in and boarding considerably more comfortable.

And for those of us who like arriving at the airport early, having a Starbucks Reserve inside the terminal certainly makes the extra waiting time easier to enjoy.

📍 Pre-Departure Area, Level 4, NAIA Terminal 3, Pasay City
🕒 Monday to Sunday, 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM

05/09/2026

Hindi ordinaryong prayer rally ang nangyari sa General Santos noong Agosto 29. Libo-libong consumer-members, church groups, students, civic groups, at concerned residents ang lumabas para tutulan ang proposed joint venture ng SOCOTECO II at Ignite Power, ang grupong backed nina Manny Pacquiao at Enrique Razon.

At the center of the opposition is one issue: control.

For many residents, this is not simply about bringing in a private investor. The bigger concern is whether SOCOTECO II could lose majority control of its own distribution business and become a minority player in an electric utility built and supported by its member-consumers for many years.

Kung assets, serbisyo, at control ng kooperatiba ang nakataya, hindi puwedeng madaliin ang proseso. Kaya hinihingi ng mga tumututol ang full disclosure ng agreement, independent audit ng SOCOTECO II, at mas malinaw na proseso bago ipaboto sa mga miyembro ang joint venture.

The controversy grew after Meralco said it had also submitted a competing proposal and questioned why Ignite Power was chosen. That shifted the issue beyond the terms of the deal. The selection process itself is now under serious scrutiny.

Noong Setyembre 4, nakakuha ng malaking legal pause ang mga tumututol. Naglabas ang lokal na korte ng temporary restraining order laban sa nakatakdang plebiscite sa proposed conditional joint venture agreement ng SOCOTECO II at Ignite Power.

The plebiscite was supposed to start on September 5 and run for four Saturdays and four Sundays. Because of the TRO, the vote is now on hold pending further action by the court.

Para sa residents at member-consumers, malaking panalo ito. Hindi lang sila nag-rally. Hindi lang sila nanawagan ng boycott. Dinala nila ang laban sa korte, at pansamantala nilang napigil ang botohan.

Their message is clear: they are not against better service, better management, or new investment. What they reject is the possible loss of consumer control over their own electric cooperative without full disclosure, proper scrutiny, and a process they can trust.

28/08/2026

Lumalakas ang pagtutol sa proposed joint venture ng SOCOTECO II at Ignite Power.

Ayon sa mga naunang pahayag ng Diocese of Marbel, civic groups at member-consumer-owners, ang pangunahing concern nila ay transparency, accountability at tunay na partisipasyon bago ang plebisito. Nagbabala rin sila na sa proposed 70-30 structure, maaaring humina nang malaki ang kontrol at representasyon ng SOCOTECO II member-owners kapag pumasok ang private partner.

Kasama sa mga nangunguna sa panawagan sina Bishop Cerilo Casicas, Fr. Rey Mission at Bro. Manny De Leon. Ang punto nila ay simple: hindi dapat basta ipasa ang isang kasunduang maaaring magbago sa ownership, board representation at long-term control ng kooperatiba nang hindi lubos na naiintindihan ng mga miyembro ang epekto nito.

Dito ako tutol sa grupong iniuugnay kina Manny Pacquiao at Enrique Razon. Hindi masama ang pumasok ang pribadong kapital kung malinaw na makikinabang ang consumers.

Pero ibang usapan kapag kapalit nito ay unti-unting pagkawala ng kontrol ng mismong member-owners. Kung talagang ito ang pinakamahusay na deal para sa SOCOTECO II, dapat kaya nitong dumaan sa masusing pagsusuri, bukas na debate at kumpletong disclosure.

Sa huli, hindi ito simpleng usapin ng bagong investor. Ang tanong ay kung sino ang tunay na may kapangyarihan sa SOCOTECO II pagkatapos ng deal. At bago sagutin iyan sa pamamagitan ng boto, dapat alam muna ng bawat member-owner kung ano talaga ang kanilang ibinibigay kapalit ng ipinapangakong solusyon.

25/08/2026

May isang numero sa industriya ng kuryente na hindi gaanong napapansin pero may epekto sa binabayaran ng konsumer: system loss. Sinabi ni Meralco Senior Vice President Arnel Casanova na may mga electric cooperative na may system loss na lampas 20 porsiyento. Kung maibaba ito sa single digits, posible aniyang makatipid ng bilyun-bilyong piso ang mga konsumer.

May system loss na natural na nangyayari habang dumadaan ang kuryente sa mga linya at transformer. Pero mayroon ding losses mula sa electricity theft, illegal connections, problema sa metro at iba pang operational deficiencies. Noong 2025, nasa 5.85 porsiyento ang system loss ng Meralco, malayo sa mahigit 20 porsiyentong naitatala sa ilang electric cooperative.

Dito pumapasok ang planong partnership ng Meralco sa mga electric cooperative. Ang maaaring dalhin ng Meralco ay kapital, teknolohiya at management expertise para mapahusay ang distribution system at mapababa ang losses. Kung kayang dalhin ang mahigit 20 porsiyentong system loss sa ilalim ng 10 porsiyento, malaking efficiency gain iyon na maaaring makinabang ang mga konsumer.

Hindi lahat ng electric cooperative ay nangangailangan ng private-sector partner. Pero kung matagal nang mataas ang system loss, dapat malinaw kung bakit at kung paano ito pabababain. Kung bilyun-bilyong piso ang maaaring matipid sa mas mahusay na operasyon, nararapat lamang itong pag-aralan. Sa huli, ang mahalaga sa konsumer ay maayos ang serbisyo at hindi siya nagbabayad nang higit dahil sa inefficiency na kaya namang bawasan.

25/08/2026

Sobra ito. Siya may hawak ng Department of Budget. Nawal na poarang bula tapos balik uli na parang walang nangyari. Wala lang. Ganun lang.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18NpbE4Tsp/

Former Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman is back in government, this time as chairperson and CEO of the government-owned Al-Amanah Islamic Investment Bank of the Philippines. But her return to public office has left one important question hanging: what happened to the investigation involving her in the country's massive flood-control controversy?

The question is not based merely on old accusations being recycled. In July, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla confirmed that Pangandaman remained under investigation in connection with the flood-control mess despite her appointment to Al-Amanah Islamic Investment Bank.

Malacañang defended her appointment, pointing out that Pangandaman remained presumed innocent and that her return to government would not prevent investigators from pursuing any evidence against her. That is a fair and legally necessary distinction. An investigation is not a finding of guilt, and the allegations against Pangandaman must be established through evidence and the proper legal process.

But the same principle works both ways. Presumption of innocence should not mean that legitimate questions surrounding the handling of billions of pesos in public funds simply disappear.

Pangandaman resigned as Budget secretary in November 2025 after her name became entangled in allegations involving budget insertions and the widening flood-control controversy. Among the most serious accusations came from former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, who alleged that Pangandaman had instructed him regarding ₱100 billion worth of projects to be inserted into the proposed 2025 national budget.

Pangandaman denied the allegations.

Co's claims cannot simply be accepted as fact. They require corroboration, documents and independent evidence. But that is exactly why the Ombudsman's investigation is important. Nearly a year after the flood-control scandal exploded into one of the country's biggest corruption controversies, the relevant question is no longer simply what Co alleged. It is what government investigators have been able to establish.

The wider investigation has not stopped. Public officials, contractors and other individuals have been investigated over allegedly ghost, substandard and anomalous flood-control projects. Cases have reached the courts, while the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice continue examining other transactions and personalities connected with the controversy.

Yet the status of the investigation involving Pangandaman remains unclear to the public.

There has been no publicly announced finding clearing her of involvement in the flood-control controversy. There has likewise been no publicly announced criminal case against her arising from that investigation. What the public has instead is confirmation from the Ombudsman that she remained under investigation, followed by her return to government in another senior position.

That sequence deserves scrutiny because Pangandaman was not a peripheral official in the national government. She headed the Department of Budget and Management, the agency responsible for overseeing critical parts of national budget preparation and ex*****on. When investigators are trying to determine how questionable appropriations entered the budget and how public money moved through government, the budget process inevitably becomes part of the money trail that has to be examined.

This does not establish that Pangandaman participated in any wrongdoing. But it makes determining exactly what happened during her tenure at the DBM a legitimate part of any serious investigation into the flood-control fiasco.

Her return to government makes a clear resolution even more important. Pangandaman now heads a government-owned financial institution. If investigators examined the allegations and found no evidence sufficient to proceed against her, the public should know. Such a finding would also be important to Pangandaman, whose name has been repeatedly associated with the controversy.

If the investigation remains active, authorities should disclose its status when legally permissible. And if investigators have uncovered sufficient evidence to warrant further proceedings, then those proceedings should move forward regardless of political position or government appointment.

The flood-control scandal involved enormous amounts of taxpayers' money. Investigations of that magnitude cannot end with a few contractors, engineers or politicians if the evidence leads elsewhere. Investigators have to follow the budget process and the movement of funds wherever the documentary trail takes them.

Amenah Pangandaman has already returned to government.

The flood-control investigation has continued.

What remains unclear is whether the investigation involving the former Budget secretary has reached a conclusion, remains active, or is simply sitting somewhere unresolved.

**The public deserves to know what investigators actually found.

17/08/2026

Meralco at PNP, Pinapalakas ang Kooperasyon Laban sa Pagnanakaw ng Kuryente

Pinapalakas ng Meralco at ng Philippine National Police ang kanilang kooperasyon laban sa pagnanakaw ng kuryente at pamimirata ng mga kagamitan sa electrical distribution system.

Kabilang sa tinututukan ng partnership ang mga insidente ng pagkawala ng electric meters, kable, at iba pang materyales na ginagamit sa paghahatid ng kuryente sa mga komunidad. Sa pamamagitan ng mas mahigpit na koordinasyon, layunin ng Meralco at PNP na mapabilis ang pagtugon sa mga ganitong kaso at mapalakas ang proteksyon sa mahahalagang pasilidad ng kuryente.

Hindi lang ito usapin ng nawawalang kagamitan. Kapag ninakaw ang metro, pinutol ang kable, o pinakialaman ang electrical facilities, maaaring maapektuhan ang kalidad at kaligtasan ng serbisyo. Maaari rin itong magdulot ng panganib sa mga residente, motorista, linemen, at komunidad na umaasa sa tuloy-tuloy at ligtas na suplay ng kuryente.

Bahagi rin ng pinalakas na partnership ang posibilidad ng technical training para sa mga electrical engineers at electricians ng PNP. Sa ganitong paraan, mas magiging handa ang mga tauhan ng pulisya na umintindi at tumulong sa mga kasong may kinalaman sa electrical facilities, lalo na kung may theft, tampering, o panganib sa public safety.

Para sa Meralco, mahalaga ang ganitong hakbang sa mas malawak nitong kampanya laban sa non-technical system losses. Ang pagnanakaw ng kuryente at mga kagamitan sa distribution network ay hindi lamang dagdag gastos sa utility. Maaari rin itong makaapekto sa reliability ng serbisyo at sa kaligtasan ng publiko.

Nagpahayag naman ang PNP ng pasasalamat sa patuloy na technical support ng Meralco, lalo na sa pagtiyak na maayos at ligtas ang power distribution facilities sa mga police camps at iba pang pasilidad ng pulisya.

Sa huli, ipinapakita ng Meralco-PNP partnership na ang proteksyon sa suplay ng kuryente ay hindi trabaho ng power utility lamang. Kailangan din dito ang suporta ng law enforcement, tamang technical knowledge, at aktibong kooperasyon ng mga institusyong may tungkulin sa public safety.

Dahil ang pagnanakaw ng kuryente ay hindi simpleng paglabag lang. Kapag pinabayaan, maaari itong maging banta sa serbisyo, seguridad, at kaligtasan ng buong komunidad.