MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) has linked its first customer to Iloilo City’s new underground distribution system (UDS), advancing urban electric power distribution in the city.
Manila Standard reported that the initial connection on October 26, 2024, linking Intensity Fitness Gym on JM Basa Street as the first beneficiary of this underground power solution.
MORE Power engineers carried out a series of tests to verify system performance and safety, confirming no issues and signaling the system’s reliability.
MORE Power president and CEO Roel Castro stated that the successful connection at Calle Real’s Intensity Fitness Gym is just the start, with more consumers seen to be connected over time.
This milestone represents a significant step forward for both MORE Power and Iloilo City, as MORE Power President and CEO Roel Castro noted that the company’s vision for a modern, resilient power system is now coming to fruition.
Castro noted that the investment in underground infrastructure reflects MORE Power’s commitment to both innovation and sustainability.
In the multi-phase UDS project launched in mid-2023, MORE Power and the Iloilo City government partnered on the Php 96-million effort to transfer overhead electric lines along a historic one-kilometer stretch, including Calle Real and Plaza Libertad.
MORE Power employed horizontal directional drilling (HDD) to install the underground utilities, eliminating the need for open trenches, reducing disruption, and ensuring minimal traffic interference, with construction scheduled from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Trenas said the pioneering project, in partnership with telcos and cable TV providers, is transforming the cityscape by moving overhead wires underground, especially in areas like Calle Real, clearing away unsightly tangles of wires.
