11/08/2026
UNITED FRONT: ALBAY LEADERS URGE PATIENCE, PUSH TO LET ALECO FINISH STATE-FUNDED SUBSTATION UPGRADES BEFORE PRIVATIZATION‼️⚡🔌
LEGAZPI CITY — Top key figures in Albay have taken a unified stance regarding the province's ongoing power crisis: give the Albay Electric Cooperative (ALECO) a fair opportunity to complete its extensive, state-funded substation rehabilitation before opening the doors to private takeover.
In a series of reports published by local news outlet Tagkaro News via its official page, Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Alfredo "Pido" Garbin, Jr., Albay 2nd District Representative Caloy Loria, Daraga Mayor Vic Perete, and Legazpi City Mayor Hisham Ismail have voiced shared reservations over rushing into privatization.
A ₱1.2-BILLION PUBLIC INVESTMENT 📈
At the center of the pushback is a massive ₱1.2-billion national government subsidy, facilitated through the initiative of the Ako Bicol Party-list, designated to rebuild Albay’s fragile electrical grid. Rep. Garbin warned that a premature corporate buyout allows private concessionaires to take a "free ride" on state-funded infrastructure built by Filipino taxpayers.
"Before jumping to conclusions that privatization will instantly fix everything, we must let the government's comprehensive rehabilitation plan finish its course," Garbin urged, highlighting key developments like the newly energized Salvacion Substation, ongoing construction in Daraga (Cullat) and Ligao, and a planned ₱800-million phase two expansion targeting Legazpi City alongside the 1st and 2nd Districts.
Rep. Loria echoed this sentiment, confirming he is pausing his Congressional inquiry into the matter to give ALECO room to demonstrate its operational capacity once government subsidies wrap up. While stepping back to let Governor Noel Rosal and member-consumers navigate discussions, Loria underscored that the utility's board and consumers must retain the final decision-making power regarding any potential Meralco entry.
LOCAL CHIEF EXECUTIVES DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY AND CAUTION ⚠
On the municipal and city levels, local leaders are calling for measured steps paired with operational transparency.
Daraga Mayor Vic Perete stressed that before any entity like Meralco takes over, clear solutions must be established for ALECO’s billions in debt, particularly as the co-op currently relies on volatile pricing from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM). Perete reiterated that the priority must remain on completing the government’s substation overhauls, noting that selling to the private sector should only ever be considered if service fails to improve after these grid fixes are fully operational.
Similarly, Legazpi City Mayor Hisham Ismail stood firm that ALECO deserves the chance to wrap up its critical infrastructure projects, such as the upcoming Banquerohan-Imalnod Substation intended to solve persistent low-voltage issues in southern Legazpi.
While opposing immediate privatization, Mayor Ismail simultaneously urged ALECO’s management to face the public directly and answer growing consumer complaints regarding sudden rate hikes and frequent brownouts. Ismail emphasized that while long-term substation completions are the structural remedy, transparent communication with affected residents across Legazpi and the province is urgent and necessary right now.
With major infrastructure milestones slated throughout 2026 and beyond, Albay’s leadership remains aligned: state-funded solutions must be allowed to run their course before handing the grid over to private enterprise.
