The Quezon City Government and the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) further strengthened their partnership with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding last July 22, that will pave the way for more collaborative projects in the city.
Mayor Herbert M. Bautista welcomed the development as he cited the benefits that city can gain from the partnership.
“This partnership will help the expansion and growth of Quezon City’s communities and enable us to respond to the challenges of being more responsive to urbanization and sustainable development, in line with MERALCO’s mission to provide its customers with ‘the best value in energy, products and services,” Mayor Bautista remarked in his address.
Alfredo Panlilio, Senior Vice President and head of MERALCO’s Customer Retail Service and Corporate Communication, said that MERALCO and the City Government have previously partnered in various projects as he recalled instances where the two entities have joined hands, prior to the signing of the partnership.
Even before the signing of the MOU, the QC government and Meralco already partnered extensively in community electrification projects, illumination of streetlights, disaster preparedness programs, tree planting activities, drug prevention programs, sports and youth advocacy, and various environment management projects. The MOU will take this, steps further to cover electric vehicle projects, prepaid electricity by QC communities, expansion of the streetlighting program, and other projects that may be mutually agreed upon by the two parties.
Mayor Bautista reiterated efforts to increase illumination in the city as he directed the city task force on streetlights to install more lamp posts, especially along major roads and densely populated communities. He also recalled the city government’s partnership with the Road Board, for the conversion of conventional streetlamps into energy-saving LED lights, in major thoroughfares of the city.
He directed city executives to see the benefits of adopting the prepaid electricity system for the city’s daycare centers and public schools, to ensure no pilferages from surrounding areas. He also directed the city’s housing department to study the adoption of prepaid electricity in the new socialized housing community in Culiat called Bistekville 4.
In 2014, Quezon City was honored by MERALCO with its Luminary award, for its carbon footprint reduction initiatives and its project with PANGEA Green Energy Philippines for the waste-to-energy biogas plant in Payatas, as among the best in innovation in environment advocacy. (Maureen Quiñones, QC-PAISO)
