Pressure Mounts On BATELEC II Over 3-Year Delay On Meralco Deal Amid Lingering Blackouts
- March 4, 2026
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Batangas provincial officials have intensified calls for the Batangas II Electric Cooperative (BATELEC II) to explain its years-long inaction on a proposed joint venture with Manila Electric Company (Meralco), as recurring power interruptions continue to affect households, businesses, and vulnerable residents across the province.
The issue was taken up during a February 27 public hearing of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Transportation, Communication and Public Utility, chaired by 4th District Board Member Melvin Vidal, with Vice Chair Alfredo Corona. Provincial officials cited mounting concerns over service reliability, particularly as Batangas positions itself as a key industrial and investment destination.
Calls For Improved Electric Supply
The hearing stemmed from a resolution filed by the Batangas Forum for Good Governance and Development Association Inc., which urged the provincial government to take a stand on the proposed partnership between Meralco and BATELEC II.
In a letter, forum president Nelson Terrible said persistent outages have resulted in economic losses for businesses and disrupted daily life. Forum member Rey Corona said the group backs the joint venture to create a more predictable power environment.
“Nagka-interes ang Batangas Forum na isulong ito—kumbaga suportahan ito—para mapaganda, maayos, at mas predictable ang pagnenegosyo na involved ang supply ng kuryente (The Batangas Forum became interested in pushing this—to support it—so that business operations involving electricity supply can be improved, made orderly, and more predictable),” Corona said.
Delayed Meralco Joint Venture
During the discussion, it was disclosed that Meralco submitted its joint venture proposal three years ago. The timeline drew questions from provincial officials.
Meralco Senior Vice President Arnel Casanova said the proposal does not involve a takeover of the cooperative but aims to strengthen its operations. He said Meralco plans to invest billions of pesos to upgrade facilities and infrastructure, which he said would benefit member-consumer-owners through improved reliability.
Casanova noted that Meralco already operates in Sto. Tomas, Batangas City, and San Pascual. “Ang tatlong ito ang pinakamaunlad na local government units sa Batangas. Nandoon ang mga ecozones at industriya, at ang energy sales nito ay mas mataas pa kaysa sa BATELEC I and II combined (These three are the most developed local government units in Batangas. The ecozones and industries are there, and their energy sales are even higher than BATELEC I and II combined),” he said.
“We want to replicate that success across the entire province of Batangas. Napapanahon na para maging isa ang Batangas sa pinakamaunlad na probinsya sa bansa (It is time for Batangas to become one of the most developed provinces in the country),” Casanova added.
Cooperative Reviewing Proposals
BATELEC II representative Engr. Mary Ann Dimaano said a technical working group is drafting the terms of reference for the proposals. She disclosed that the cooperative has received offers from Meralco, Aboitiz Power Corporation, and Prime Infrastructure Capital.
“We have received proposals from Meralco, Aboitiz and Prime. Hindi simpleng desisyon ang gagawin kung papasok sa ino-offer ng private entities (The decision to enter into what private entities are offering is not simple). We are hearing the voice of member consumer owners. The management is very open kaya pinagbigyan na pag-aralan ang kanilang proposals (That is why we allowed their proposals to be studied),” Dimaano said.
Casanova said Meralco is open to any selection process, including competitive bidding, adding that the company advocates transparency.
LGU Official Raises Questions
Vice Governor Hermilando “Dodo” Mandanas questioned the cooperative’s long-term capacity, especially as it prepares to seek a new franchise before its current one expires in 2030. Under the new arrangement, BATELEC II would secure its franchise directly through Congress and would no longer operate under the supervision of the National Electrification Administration.
Mandanas raised concerns about sustaining service quality once government support structures are no longer in place. He also noted that while BATELEC II is the largest electric cooperative in the country, there remains room to improve efficiency and reliability. He said that among the interested parties, Meralco appears to have the most established infrastructure in Batangas.
In a separate interview, Vidal described the February 27 hearing as a potential turning point.
“Ang nangyaring hearing kanina ay magiging susi para mapa-improve ang serbisyo ng kuryente sa hanay ng BATELEC II. At kung ito naman ay magkakaroon ng JV with Meralco, lalo pang magiging maayos at maihahanda ang ating lalawigan sa pagiging ‘Industrial Batangas,’ at makaka-invite at makaka-cater tayo ng mas maraming negosyo (The hearing that took place today will be key to improving electricity service within BATELEC II. And if this results in a joint venture with Meralco, our province will be better prepared as ‘Industrial Batangas,’ enabling us to attract and serve more businesses),” he said.
“At the end of the day, ang mahalaga dito ay ang panalo ay ang mamamayang Batangueño (At the end of the day, what matters is that the Batangueño people are the winners),” Vidal added.
Source:
https://tribune.net.ph/2026/02/28/batelec-ii-pressed-over-stalled-meralco-joint-venture-proposal
https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/03/03/opinion/columns/no-longer-for-the-marginalized/2291415
