“Radiating positivity, creating connectivity” CEBU BUSINESS Room 310-A, 3rd floor WDC Bldg. Osmeña Blvd., Cebu City You may visit Cebu Business Week WEEK Facebook page. February 1 - 7, 2021 Volume 3, Series 71 www.cebubusinessweek.com 12 PAGES P15.00 CHEAPER POWER FOR ISLAND SOON Advocate urges DOE to stop dealing with generation firm POWER Advocate Ro- businessmen because they By: ELIAS O. BAQUERO gon urged all LGU officials to lesser cost. The private power meo “Butch” Junia said are subsidized by the Uni- support the submarine cable generator in Bantayan Island the Department of Energy versal Charge for Missionary Junia said that looking project, but the mayors of which BANELCO will sign a (DOE) should stop dealing Electrification (UCME). at the supply agreement in Bantayan town, Sta. Fe and contract for 15 years cannot with a private power gener- Junia said that UCME Bantayan Island, the ERC Madridejos endorsed this be judged as less cost because ation firm because an on-go- was authorized under Sec- approved the rate of P27 per P27 per kilowatt hour rate there is no competitor even ing submarine cable project tion 70 of the Energy Power kilowatt hour and the Ban- under a power supply agree- during public bidding. will bring cheaper electricity Industry Reform Act (EPI- tayan Island people will just ment for 15 years with a pro- Under the guideline of through interconnection be- RA). The law provides that pay P6.25 per kilowatt hour posed rate of P13.38,” Junia the competitive selection tween Bantayan Island and all electric consumers shall because of the UCME subsi- said. process, BANELCO must re- mainland Cebu. pay UCME. dy. “Why sign a 15-year con- ceive two or more bidders. The submarine cable was Junia explained that This means that Ban- tract when the submarine ca- If only one bidder shows a project of the late Cebu 4th all power consumers in the tayan Island people will be ble interconnection is ongo- up. BANELCO must declare District Congressman Ben- main grid are paying UCME subsidized at P20.75 per ing? If they will interconnect a failed bidding and invite hur Salimbangon who died to subsidize electricity in kilowatt hour by power five years from now, they will more bidders and call for an- last December 24, 2020, and Bantayan Island at 11.56 cen- consumers of Visayas Elec- continue paying higher pow- other bidding. now monitored by Benhur’s tavos per kilowatt hour. This tric Company (VECO) and er rate for another ten years.” Junia said that an EPI- wife, incumbent Rep. Janice is separate from the petition Manila Electric Company Junia urged DOE to stop RA provision stated that Z. Salimbangon. of National Power Corpora- (MERALCO) and the rest of contracting private power UCME will be phased out If the interconnection tion (NPD) asking ERC for the country. generator with high power three years after the law is project will be realized, the an increase to 20.7 centavos “This is immoral, illegal rate. adopted. EPIRA took effect Bantayan Island power rate per kilowatt hour for the year and unfair,” Junia said. If DOE will allow new in 2001; hence UCME should will be the same as the rate in 2021. “The late Rep. Salimban- contracts, it should be at a have become non-existent by mainland Cebu which is P7 2004 or 2005. per kilowatt hour. Junia said that in Janu- Before he died, Salim- ary 2019, DOE Secretary Al- bangon called Cebu Busi- fonso G. Cusi issued a guide- ness Week and said that his line that in six months, DOE, submarine cable project will NPC, and other agencies connect Bantayan Island to involved in collecting and Cebu-Negros-Panay (CNP) disposing UCME shall make power grid to decrease the a system that power con- electricity cost in the island sumers should not anymore with an estimated 150,000 shoulder the cost of UCME people. and just charge it from gov- At present, the power ernment tax collection. rate in Bantayan Island is But there is still no con- high but there is no serious crete result of the 2019 concern from Bantayan Is- guideline issued by Cusi until land government officials and now. 2 February 1 - 7, 2021 Cebu Business Week NEWS Balance needed to fight Covid, revival of economy: Rama CEBU City Vice Mayor by DOH for the purpose of Michael “Mike” Rama said catering Locally Stranded In- the government must bal- dividuals (LSI) and Overseas ance the revival of the once Filipino Workers (OFWs), strong economy and the fight who should observe strict the Covid-19 pandemic so protocol compliance,” Rama the people will not suffer fur- said. ther. Rama also said that they “We should be mindful must encourage the mem- that the health challenge is bers of the Cebu Chamber not only Covid-19. We are of Commerce and Industry also looking at other infec- (CCCI) to take a look for the tious diseases like tuber- second time at the project culosis, dengue, and polio. “Balik Buhay.” These are health cases that “We should always make everybody must be mindful,” Bunny Pages who owns Mabatid as vice chair. prays to God that he (Label- a balance between the econ- Rama said. restaurants and a school; and Mabatid, chairperson la) will completely recover omy and public health. We Earlier, Businessman businessman Felix Taguiam, of the Cebu City Coopera- soon so he can be available at should all be mindful that Rey E. Calooy, chairman of president of the Cebu Cham- tive Development Council his office. health challenges do not only the Filipino-Cebuano Busi- ber of Commerce and Indus- (CCCDC), is also advocating “We will have to look for- involve Covid-19 but other ness Club (FilCeb); Busi- try (CCCI), said that another food production as one way ward that we have days to aspect of infectious diseas- nessman Philip Tan, man- lockdown and the economy of surviving Covid-19 pan- combat the continuing rise in es. Tuberculosis, dengue and agement representative to will collapse. demic. Covid-19 cases. But optimis- polio, among others are ma- the Regional Tripartite Wag- Rama is the chairman Rama said that while tically, we see that all our fa- jor concerns that we cannot es and Productivity Board of the Committee on Health Cebu City Mayor Edgar La- cilities, hospital occupancy, ignore,” Rama said. ELIAS O. (RTWPB) 7; Businessman with City Councilor Prisca bella is working at home, he all rules that are accredited BAQUERO Register with SSS app, members urged ALL members of the Store if the cellular phone is without going to the office or SSS will send the employer the Department of Labor Social Security System (SSS) IPhone. lining up there,” Sacay said. the demand letter otherwise and Employment (DOLE) so are urged to register with the Once downloaded, Sacay He said that we can he will be fined or imprisoned he can get “unemployment SSS Mobile App so they can said click the application to also update our contact through a competent court. assistance” from SSS. view their SSS account using SSS Mobile App. But one of information through SSS If an employee was Sacay added that families cellular phone. the requirements is that a Mobile App. We can also terminated from his job of all people who have paid Keith Michael Sacay said member must have already see our entire contributions’ because of redundancy and contributions to SSS will that if a member of SSS will registered with the SSS web. breakdown. This means if a after checking with the SSS receive burial assistance. have this mobile app, they And should already have an worker will see his account mobile app he found out that “Even if a person has paid can access all information ID and password. through mobile app, he will there were some unremitted contribution and has stopped regarding their account “This SSS Mobile App know if his employer has contributions, the employee paying several years ago, he anytime, anywhere. is the most convenient in remitted all the contributions can file a complaint with the will receive burial assistance Sacay said that a member generating PRN to present to SSS which were deducted SSS. of a minimum of P20,000 of SSS may download the to Bayad Center in paying from payroll and employer’s Meanwhile, if an employee and a maximum of P40,000 application from Google contribution to SSS. By this, counterpart. will be separated from the job depending on the number Play if their mobile phone we can transact with SSS If the employer did not not of his own making, he of his contributions,” Sacay is Android, and from App using our cellular phone remit the contribution, the can get a certification from said. ELIAS O. BAQUERO Barili infirmary opened: Flores THE newly completed among others. The mayor added that they can save time, money, the town’s mayor by succes- 30-bed Infirmary Hospital in The building alone is P15 while the Barili District Hos- and effort,” Flores said. sion. This was the reason why Barili, Cebu at the total cost million and P15 million for pital which is owned by the He said that the infirmary he initiated a supplemental of P30 million was formally medical equipment. Cebu Provincial Government was the brainchild of the late budget of P 9 million a year opened last January 15, 2021 The Barili Municipal Gov- still exists, the infirmary is Marlon Garcia who died last for salary so the infirmary will with four doctors and eight ernment has budgeted a total owned and managed by the year.