Expanding Power
BY JING LEJANO
Meralco brings stable power to boost
productivity at the Cavite Economic Zone.
When Typhoon Glenda struck Luzon in July 2014, it damaged electric posts and power cables and left parts of Metro Manila and a number of provinces in the southern area without power for weeks.
The crisis kept the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco)working ’round-the-clock to restore power. For the engineers and staff of Meralco - Cavite Economic Zone (Meralco CEZ), however, the situation proved to be their baptism of fire.
A month prior to Glenda (international code: Rammasun), Meralco signed a 25-year deal with the Philippine Export Processing Zone Authority (Peza) to distribute electricity within the CEZ. Now, it struggled feverishly to address problems at the site and coordinate with the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines for updates.
Meralco CEZ General Manager Ronald Torres recalls his staff's determination to restore power to the ecozone locators. for whom every hour of power loss meant thousands of dollars in lost revenue. The hard work paid off, "We were the first ecozone in the Meralco franchise that restored stable power in 24 hours," he says. Meralco is also the Sole power distributor at 25 other Peza districts. Impressed with the speed of power restoration, the members of the Cavite Economic Zone Investors Association gave Meralco a letter of commendation.
Bound together for efficiency
When Typhoon Glenda struck Luzon in July 2014, it damaged electric posts and power cables and left parts of Metro Manila and a number of provinces in the southern area without power for weeks.
The crisis kept the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) working ’round-the-clock to restore power. For the engineers and staff of Meralco - Cavite Economic Zone (Meralco CEZ). however, the situation proved to be their baptism of fire.
A month prior to Glenda (international code: Rammasun), Meralco signed a 25 year deal with the Philippine Export Processing Zone Authority (Peza) to distribute electricity within the CEZ. Now, it struggled feverishly to address problems at the site and coordinate with the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines for updates.
Meralco CEZ General Manager Ronald Torres recalls his staffs determination to restore power to the ecozone locators, for whom every hour of power loss meant thousands of dollars in lost revenue. The hard work paid off. "We were the first ecozone in the Meralco franchise that restored stable power in 24 hours," he says. Meralco is also the sole power distributor at 25 other Peza districts.
Impressed with the speed of power restoration, the members of the Cavite Economic Zone Investors Association gave Meralco a letter of commendation.
Putting the customer first
The CEZ remains the biggest economic zone operated by the government, and Torres believes managing the challenges here calls for an entrepreneurial mindset and a customer-first approach. This requires Meralco team members to think like their clients and anticipate their needs.
Meralco CEZ initially held a town hall meeting with the locators, to discuss plans to improve the quality, reliability, and safety of the zone as well as its commitments to customer service.
"Our contract with the CEZ asks us to go beyond the meter," discloses Acuña. “If you have problems after the meter, typically the lineman would say, Please get an electrician to fix it.' Peza asked us to help the customer even within their premises, providing a one-stop, non-stop service."
So while customers in other franchise areas need to find their own contractors, CEZ locators are encouraged to seek Meralco’s assistance. "If they encounter any electrical trouble that we can take care of," Torres adds, 'we help them directly."
Building a more sustainable system
The Cavite ecozone is a test case for Meralco CEZ, which saw the power distributor exceed expectations. Meralco is already being tapped to provide power at an adjacent 9.6-ha. site that the CEZ plans to open.
Part of its success lies in its ability to mount initiatives to support the sustainability of the economic zone's operations and its growth. Improvements to the network, for instance, entail retiring old lines, installing new ones, and refurbishing all others. The CEZ customers are likewise encouraged to use equipment that meet Meralco standards.
"Meralco uses very high-efficiency transformers," according to Acuña. "Its more expensive, but its cheaper in the long run, and you reduce system loss. That’s one way we keep prices down.”
Meter audits also reduce system loss. Over a two-year period, Meralco CEZ detected meter defects and meter-installation errors, and reduced losses from 3.5 percent to 2.4 percent, one of the lowest in the country.
Peza and Meralco CEZ, in time, will also consider harnessing Solar envy, since most locators have expansive rooftops.
At the end of the day, Meralco wants to make the businesses it serves sustainable. “We’re all neighbors” Acuña summarizes. “We’re all living in the same ecosystem. lf they don't succeed, we don't succeed. We want our customers to succeed, so they can profitably operate here in the country for a very, very long time.”