Laguna Water and Laguna Aquatech (LARC), Manila Water non-east zone operating units in Laguna province, transitioned to the electricity Retail Aggregation Program (RAP), marking the first implementation of this initiative outside Metro Manila.
The RAP innovative program by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) allows electricity consumers to aggregate and choose their power suppliers and negotiate competitive electricity rates.
It highlights both the companies’ commitment to delivering clean, sustainable, and cost-efficient water services to the communities and businesses in Laguna.
The transition enables Laguna Water and Laguna Aquatech to significantly reduce power costs, a major component of water production expenses.
The resulting savings will help maintain affordable water rates while allowing the companies to reinvest in service enhancements, infrastructure development, and sustainability programs.
“This small, short quiet event really this allows us to proclaim to other audiences what we are doing. To our regulators, to our stakeholders that we are working tirelessly to try to improve operations and empower being what it is. Power, if you deal with it responsibly, you can work around it and make your operations good,” said Manila Water president and chief executive Jocot De Dios during the ceremonial switching event at the Laguna Water Head Office in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
“But there’s more, there are more things that we need to do. There’s more that we need to connect and other initiatives that we need to chase with our partners as well. And I think this is the spirit of really proclaiming not just in our country but in the international audience, how we can collaborate with partners, with power utilities and retail electricity suppliers, how we can make sustainability front and center of our water operations.” he said.
“It’s inspiring to see RAP expanding beyond Metro Manila. With Laguna Water and LARC following in the footsteps of Manila Water and making the switch, we’re taking another step toward a more competitive and consumer-driven power sector. This makes us more determined in making sure that all consumers effectively exercise their power to choose and enjoy the savings that come with it. The more participants we have in RAP, the stronger the competition is, and that means better prices and more options for everyone,” said ERC chairman and chief executive Monalisa Dimalanta.
Laguna Water, a joint venture between Manila Water Philippine Ventures and the provincial government of Laguna, provides water, wastewater and environmental services to municipalities of Santa Rosa, Cabuyao, Binan, Pagsanjan, several areas in Sta. Cruz, Pakil, Victoria and Calauan, and in various real estate developments in Laguna, which includes BellaVita (in Pila, Alaminos and San Pablo), Amaia (in Calamba and San Pablo) and Ayala Greenfield Estates – Calamba.
Meanwhile, LARC, a joint venture between MWPV and Laguna Water District, is dedicated to the rehabilitation, improvement, expansion, operation, and maintenance of the water supply system in the municipalities of Los Baños, Bay, Calauan, Victoria and Nagcarlan.
The RAP transition includes LARC’s 25 facilities, with a total of 900kW of power demand, and Laguna Water’s 67 facilities, with a total of 4.3 MW power demand.
Under the RAP, the operating units will now source electricity supply from PrimeRES Energy distributed through Manila Electric Co.
