Jonathan Frederic De Santos

MINDOREÑOS RALLY AGAINST  FREQUENT BROWNOUTS, HIGH POWER RATES

Article (news)

Dennis Datu

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785052661822viber_image_2026-07-26_14-40-33-864.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><em>Dennis Datu, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — Hundreds of residents took to the streets of Calapan City on Saturday afternoon to protest what they described as persistent power outages and soaring electricity rates imposed by the Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (ORMECO).</p><p>The demonstration was led by the Mindoro Consumers Coalition (MCC), whose members denounced the heavy financial burden of rising electricity costs on consumers across the province.</p><p>The group said the impact extends beyond households, with small businesses and other sectors also struggling under high electricity bills.</p><p>Although ORMECO’s electricity rate dropped by nearly P1 per kilowatt-hour this month—from more than P18 per kWh in June—the protesters said the reduction remains insufficient to ease the burden on consumers, particularly low-income families and small business owners.</p><p>The coalition also questioned the cooperative’s continued dependence on emergency power suppliers, arguing that it has contributed to higher electricity costs.</p><p>ORMECO, however, defended its position, saying the coalition remained silent in 2024 when the cooperative was appealing for public support against the national government’s reduction of subsidies for Small Power Utility Group (SPUG) areas.</p><p>According to ORMECO General Manager Humphrey Dolor, the cooperative had already been raising the same concerns long before the current protests.</p><p>“Ang lahat ng kanilang isinisigaw ,isinigaw din natin noon pang, matagal na noon pang 2024, subalit noon panahon na tayo ay nananawagan, sila naman ay lahat ay tahimik,” Dolor said.</p><p>He added that it was unfair to blame ORMECO alone for the current situation.</p><p>&quot;Ngayon nangyari na lahat ito, plus yung krisis, ngayon sila magre-react at kay ORMECO nila lahat isinisisi. Tama ba lahat na isisi kay ORMECO, alam naman natin na noon pa man ay si ORMECO ay naglalaban talaga sa paltas ng presto ng kuryente dahil kami mismo, kaming mga taga-ORMECO ay consumer din,” Dolor explained.</p><p>In 2024, the National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR) reduced subsidies for all SPUG areas, including Mindoro, by P3 per kWh for residential consumers and P4 per kWh for commercial and industrial users.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/7/23/cooperatives-private-utilities-charge-more-than-national-average-power-rates-study-1914">Cooperatives, private utilities charge more than national average power rates—study</a></div><p>Meanwhile, Dolor said ORMECO’s electricity rate has already begun to decline, dropping to just over P17 per kWh this July from more than P18 per kWh in June.</p><p>He explained that electricity prices surged in May and June after renewable energy sources such as wind and hydroelectric plants generated little to no power due to the effects of El Niño, forcing ORMECO to purchase electricity from more expensive emergency power providers.</p><p>“Which is true cost, walang subsidy ng gobyerno, sa taas ng demand, doon tayo kumuha, almost 29 percent doon natin kinuha, so ganoon talaga yung magiging suma-total noon, pass through naman yun sa mga mga consumer,” Dolor said.</p><p>The ORMECO chief said consumers can expect electricity bills to continue declining as the cooperative reduces its dependence on emergency power.</p><p>According to Dolor, renewable energy generation has begun to recover with the onset of the southwest monsoon, while some of ORMECO’s pending 57-megawatt power supply contracts have already secured approval from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).</p><p>Despite the cooperative’s assurances, the Mindoro Consumers Coalition said it plans to stage another protest in the coming days to press its demand for lower electricity rates and greater transparency in ORMECO’s operations.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6sb8w0hPkoU?si=9c4RIJDJvv3SOv70" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>Hundreds of residents took to the streets of Calapan City on Saturday afternoon to protest what they described as persistent power outages and soaring electricity rates imposed by the Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (ORMECO).</p>

Hundreds of residents took to the streets of Calapan City on Saturday afternoon to protest what they described as persistent power outages and soaring electricity rates imposed by the Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (ORMECO).

Mindoreños rally against frequent brownout, high power rates

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Mindoreños rally against frequent brownout, high power rates

Dennis Datu,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 26, 2026 04:03 PM PHT

Read More:

PROTEST

ORMECO

POWER RATES

ELECTRIC BILL

BROWNOUT

ORIENTAL MINDORO

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