Voting 186-7-4, the House of Representatives on Wednesday approved on final reading House Bill 10926 to grant a fresh 25-year franchise for the Manila Electric Company (Meralco).
The said bill will now be transmitted to the Senate for consideration.
House Committee on Ways and Means Chairperson and Albay Rep. Joey Salceda and Committee on Legislative Franchises Chairperson and Parañaque Rep. Gus Tambunting sponsored the bill prior to its approval.
The approved measure consolidates three House bills authored by Salceda, Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, and former Speaker and now Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, respectively.
Meralco’s franchise is set to expire in 2028. As the largest electricity distributor in the country, Meralco services 7.8 million customers in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, and select areas in Pampanga, Laguna, Batangas, and Quezon.
The bill’s proponents said renewing Meralco’s legislative franchise would send a strong signal of economic stability to potential local and foreign investors.
“As I repeatedly assert, the role of the franchise review process in Congress is to see whether a grantee has complied with its mandates. In this regard, there can be little question. Meralco has fulfilled its end of the current franchise law,” Salcedo said.
