Librado urges DLPC to stop power rate increase

PRESS RELEASE | August 10, 2010 | Davao City --- 1st  District Councilor Leah Librado expressed her opposition to the Davao Light and Power Company’s (DLPC) pending imposition of an 0.8 centavo power rate hike saying that “such an increase will only burden majority of the Davaoenos, most especially the city’s poor constituents.”

“Samot na gyud nga magbaguod ang mga inahan niini hilabi na katong mga wala gyud klarong panginabuhian nga maglisod naman gani nga magpalit og pagkaon. Mothers who belong to families with less than Php 120 income per day, allocate budget for electric and water bills next to food, mao ning lisod gyud ning patas-an pa ang presyo sa kuryente,” said Librado who chairs the SP Committee on Women, Children and Family Relations.

Librado said the economic rights of women should be protected as enshrined in the Women Development Code, and these include the fact that the state must exert all efforts to cushion the impact of the economic crisis. “The power rate increase is too much for our mothers, especially for working mothers, especially that the RTWPB has recently granted a measly P21 COLA and wage increase or an estimated P500 a month increase. Ironically, the adjusted power rates would only take up this purported increase. Families can only forego with other basic needs, but not electricity or power costs, thus the power rate increase is way, way too much,” noted Atty. Librado.

Librado urged the DLPC management to concede to the people’s sentiments against the power rate hike adding that “the power rate increase would spark off a domino effect in the local economy as the business establishments would eventually pass the power rate burden to consumers. The proposed rate increase is even higher than the national power rate increase of 0.04 centavos.”

Librado also challenged the Aquino administration to repeal the EPIRA or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, the law behind the privatization of the country’s electric industry.

“EPIRA has  failed to bring down the price of electricity; instead, it has given way for the foreign power corporations to gain high profits at the expense of the paying public.”