MORE Electric and Power Corporation, also known as MORE Power, is an electric power distribution company in the Philippines. It has been serving Iloilo City since 2019, following its controversial takeover of the private firm Panay Electric Company (PECO) as the city's sole power distributor.[1]
The name "MORE" is an acronym for Monte Oro Resources & Energy, Inc.,[2] a subsidiary of Prime Strategic Holdings, Inc. (formerly known as Prime Metroline Holdings, Inc.) of billionaire Enrique Razon.[3]
History
MORE Power was founded in 2018 under the parent company of Prime Strategic Holdings, Inc. of Enrique K. Razon. On February 14, 2019, it was granted a 25-year power distribution franchise in Iloilo City signed by President Rodrigo Duterte, after Panay Electric Company (PECO)'s 97-year-long service franchise in the city expired earlier on January 18, 2019.[4][5]
In July 2024, MORE Power invested ₱115 million to modernized power services, including the implementation of a SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system, which allows for remote monitoring and control of substations, as well as the collection of data for analysis.[11]
In October 2024, the underground distribution system (UDS) along Calle Real, a historic street in downtown Iloilo City, successfully connected its first customer. The project, financed by MORE Power in collaboration with the Iloilo City government, began in 2023 and was completed in December 2024.[12][13] The UDS project will also cover other parts of the city, including the district plazas, main roads, and other heritage sites.
Controversies
Franchise dispute with PECO
In February 2019 when President Duterte signed Republic Act 11212, MORE Power was granted a 25-year franchise to take over from PECO, whose own franchise had expired just weeks earlier in January 2019 after failing to secure an extension from Congress.[14] Following this legislative move, MORE Power swiftly initiated an expropriation case against PECO in March 2019 to legally acquire its distribution assets necessary for operating in Iloilo City. Despite PECO's objections, the Iloilo City Regional Trial Court, under Judge Emerald Requina-Contreras, issued a crucial writ of possession, allowing MORE Power to take over specified PECO assets. This court order paved the way for MORE Power to assume operational control over key infrastructure like substations, reassuring residents and businesses of uninterrupted service through proactive consumer support measures.[15] However, PECO has continued to challenge the legality of Republic Act 11212 and the court's decisions, maintaining a legal and regulatory standoff that underscores the complexities and stakes involved in the transition of electricity distribution services in Iloilo City.[16]
In 2020, the Supreme Court issued a final ruling that PECO could no longer operate Iloilo City’s distribution system, affirming that its franchise had lapsed. MORE Power was thereby established as the new distributor of power in Iloilo City.[17]
Franchise expansion conflict
In 2024, the Supreme Court upheld MORE Power's expansion franchise covering 15 municipalities and one city previously within ILECOs' jurisdiction. The landmark decision entitled "Iloilo Electric Cooperative, Inc. [ILECO I], et al. v. Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin, et al.", G.R. No. 264260, dated July 30, penned by Justice Rodil Zalameda, dismissed the certiorari filed by Iloilo Electric Cooperative, Inc. I, II, and III which contested the validity of Section 1, R.A. 11918.[18] It ruled that Section 11, Article XII of the 1987 Constitution prohibits exclusive franchises.[19] In January 2025, the petition was dismissed by the Supreme Court and upholds MORE Power's franchise expansion in the 15 municipalities in Iloilo province.[20]
