Maguindanao power coop reminds consumers to settle bills to avoid disconnection

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=926104
• Tuesday, September 27, 2016

By Noel Y. Punzalan [(PNA), FPV/NYP]

COTABATO CITY, Sept. 26 (PNA) -- Officials of the Maguindanao Electric Cooperative (Magelco) on Monday reminded member-consumers its disconnection team had been roaming around the province to disconnect power lines.

Magelco General Manager Ansari Maungko said the cooperative is strictly implementing automatic disconnection to consumers who failed to settle power bills on time.

"We need to do this to survive," Maungko told reporters as member consumers flocked the cooperative office to pay bills.

"We have experienced a series of power outages in the province not because of technical problem but due to limited supply from power generators," he said, adding the cooperatives' mounting payables to power generators forced the firm to cut power supply for Magelco.

He said Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) and National Power Corporation (Napocor) were forced to reduce supplies for Magelco due to its huge payables which led to sectional power outages in Maguindanao's 36 municipalities.

"We need to be innovative," Maungko said, adding that consumers were given ample time to settle their obligation.

"When all are exhausted, the Magelco disconnection team will come in," he said.

Maungko did not reveal Magelco's payables to power generators but said "we are regularly paying our obligations so enough power supply is restored."