Electrical Pole Fires Persist

Here is a great article from Iloilo's Panay News.

https://www.panaynews.net/pole-fires-persist-bfp-iloilo-city-records-five-more-during-holiday-season/

Electricity pole fires persist in this southern city. During the holidays there were five such incidents from Dec. 23, 2019 to Jan. 2, 2020 and according to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) the poles belonged to Panay Electric Co. (PECO) whose power distribution franchise expired on Jan. 19, 2019 yet. 

All of these electricity pole fires happened at night, according to the BFP. Fortunately there were no reported injuries or deaths.

Yeah fortunately! Just the possibility of serious injuries and deaths as the electrical lines burn and transformers maybe explode. Why do you think this is happening? Can you guess? I bet you can!

Two months ago the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) conducted an investigation on the series of pole fires here upon the prodding of Mayor Jerry Treñas who had expressed concern over the possible threat to public safety of “inadequately-maintained lines, power outages and hazardous electric posts.” 

The ERC eventually came out with its findings: PECO’s protective devices were not properly rated and designed, some of its poles were leaning and in unsafe positions, and that some electricity meters were clustered and installed in an Elevated Metering Center without securing prior ERC approval.

The "possible threat" to public safety? "Possible?" Sounds like we are in the realm of actuality now. And all because of inadequately maintained lines and hazardous electric posts as well as leaning poles, inadequately maintained lines, and clustered electricity meters. Like this from Bacolod?

Or how about like this from Iloilo?

Bacolod and Iloilo are the same when it comes to danger from the electrical grid and I suspect every other city and barangay in this nation is as well.

Let's continue the story. If you are not aware the story is that PECO lost it's right to provide power to Iloilo. This has actually led to murder! Here are my comments from a year ago when this occurred.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1070389/killing-of-anti-peco-bid-critic-councilors-bodyguards-arrested

Two bodyguards of an Iloilo City councilor were arrested at the Iloilo City Hall on Monday for the killing of the councilor’s estranged first cousin who had accused him of orchestrating a fake signature campaign against the city’s electric distributor. 

Mercedes had accused her cousin, the councilor, of being among those behind the gathering of fake signatures against Panay Electric Co. (Peco). 

The councilor, chair of the council’s committee on public utilities, was among the critics of Peco opposed to the renewal of its distribution franchise, which would expire on Jan. 19.

This is a potentially huge story with all the hallmarks of Philippine politics: corruption, family infighting, conspiracy, and murder. Someone wants PECO out so they can put their own company in and profit from raising electricity costs. Now a lady who was exposing this corruption of which her cousin was the alleged mastermind is dead. But no one cares. There is no P50 million reward and the lady is a nobody. Just another story to bury along with her body.

Now let's continue the story from the present.

PECO was then ordered to explain these which ERC considered as operational lapses. 

Franchise-less for almost a year now, PECO is operating merely by virtue of a provisional Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) issued by ERC. 

Congress refused to extend PECO’s franchise due to numerous consumer complaints arising from its ageing distribution system, including leaning electric poles, spaghetti-like hanging electricity lines, overbilling, and unprofessional handling of consumer complaints. 

Congress instead granted MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power) a 25-year power distribution franchise. There is, however, a two-year transition period to ensure uninterrupted service to consumers, thus the CPCN to PECO. 

According to Iloilo City fire marshal Christopher Regencia, of the 461 fire incidents recorded here in 2019, nearly half or 218 cases were pole fires. The rest were structural fires (121), rubbish fires (37), and vehicular fires (nine), among others. 

The reasons for these police fire incidents were dilapidated and ageing wooden poles and electrical wires and overloaded transformers of the 95 years old power utility PECO, according to the BFP. 

The tolerance of illegal connections or “jumper” was also a culprit to the fires caused by faulty electrical connections, it added. 

BFP clarified that only electrical cables could cause fires and not telephone or cable TV wires, contrary to PECO’s justification.

PECO is out because they are incompetent. Great. But guess what? When they leave those 95 year old power lines, electrical poles, and meter boxes will STILL be in place! So what is the point? Who cares if PECO is out or if they are penalised if the whole electrical system in Iloilo is not revamped in a major way? Does MORE Power have the money and the manpower to do that job?  Call me a skeptic but I seriously doubt it.