The PR & Events Circuit

ILOILO CITY – The continuing thin power supply in the Visayas has affected electricity rates across distribution utilities in the region, prompting the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to place the grid under several yellow alerts since May. In Iloilo City, MORE Electric and Power Corporation said it is hoping that power supply in the Visayas Grid will return to normal as soon as possible so that electricity rates may also go down. A yellow alert means available supply is not enough to meet demand, which may lead distribution utilities to implement manual load dropping or rotational power interruptions. Based on the latest data, MORE Power recorded around 428,308.60 kWh in power losses from May 13 to June, affecting 177,727 consumers. NGCP said the tight supply situation in the Visayas was caused by the outage of three major coal-fired power plants: Units 1 and 2 of Aboitiz Power Therma Visayas Inc., which have a capacity of 169 MW each, and Panay Energy Development ...

SM Supermalls is bringing more giant-sized fun, immersive experiences, and memorable moments to communities across the Visayas and Palawan with the expansion of the SM Giant Squad to SM City Iloilo, SM City Roxas, SM City Bacolod, and SM City Puerto Princesa. As part of SM Supermalls' commitment to creating meaningful and engaging experiences for Filipino families, the country's most loved mall continues to grow its roster of larger-than-life characters designed to inspire fun, discovery, and community connection. Through the Giant Squad, mallgoers can enjoy more shareable moments and "Gala to the Max" experiences that make every visit more exciting and memorable. Leading the newest wave of Giant Squad characters is Lilo, the Lovable Bear of SM City Iloilo. Innovative, warm, and always bringing people together, Lilo inspires exciting adventures and unforgettable moments for mallgoers. At SM City Roxas, Roxy, the Bubbly Octopus, brings playful energy and endless surpri...

Today's connected households rely on the internet to keep life moving -- whether it's a virtual meeting, an online class, a movie marathon, or a competitive gaming session. As digital activities become deeply woven into everyday routines, reliability has become more important than internet speeds.   Addressing this need, PLDT Home has introduced  Fiber Always On , a breakthrough broadband innovation designed to keep households connected even during unexpected fiber outages. PLDT Home is the first and only internet service provider in the Philippines to offer a hybrid modem that seamlessly combines fiber and LTE connectivity in a single device. The innovative solution automatically switches to its built-in LTE backup whenever fiber service becomes unavailable, helping minimize disruptions without requiring customers to manually activate a mobile hotspot, maintain a secondary connection, or subscribe to a separate backup service.   Unlike conventional broadband setups that ...

CBS China Bank Savings sustained its growth momentum in the first quarter of 2026, posting a net income of P631.2 million, up 11.5% year-on-year (YoY), driven by continued strength across its core businesses. Net interest income increased by 20.4% YoY to P2.8 billion, supported by sustained growth in the Bank’s lending business. Total assets stood at P217.3 billion, backed by a growing customer base of more than one million. Net loans expanded by 11.5% YoY to P155.5 billion, driven mainly by the continued growth of the Bank’s salary loan and business loan segments. Deposits likewise increased by 12.0% to P191.4 billion, reinforcing the Bank’s liquidity position and funding stability. CBS President James Christian T. Dee is confident in the bank’s ability to sustain the momentum. “CBS prides itself in maintaining strong relationships with its customers, and they have rewarded the Bank with loyalty. There is no substitute for trust and dependability, and the Bank provides that in spades ...

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has requested a twelve-hour Scheduled Power Interruption within the franchise area of MORE Power. This is to carry out uprating works in relation to the energization of the 3rd 100 MVA power transformer that is part of the upgrading of NGCP’s Iloilo Substation on Sunday, May 31, 2026. Part of their activity involves the shutdown of one 100 MVA Power Transformer, leaving only one temporary transformer to serve the consumers. In this situation, NGCP’s capacity will be limited, and there is a possibility of implementing Manual Load Dropping to prevent the Power Transformer from being overloaded. As a result, all the consumers served by the Mandurriao Substation, Megaworld Substation, and Jaro Substation will be affected. MORE Power will have ride-on activities in relation to the interruption.  Here are the schedule of the power interruptions: 𝟔:𝟎𝟎 𝐀𝐌 - 𝟔:𝟎𝟎 𝐏𝐌 (𝟏𝟐 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬) Portion of Jaro Feeder 2 Portion of Mobile...

  Amidst the ongoing energy crisis,  Globe unveils new mobile and Globe At Home offers to help customers cope with the current challenges. The Blueprint, a quarterly media briefing held last May 26, 2026 at The Globe Tower, aptly themed “Keep Going with Globe,” showcased new connectivity products to serve as a lifeline for many Filipinos. Connectivity that knows you Globe launched its own  Globe Cloud  service, offering customers a back-up system at a lower price than most cloud services.   Now customers can secure files, preserve photos with flexible and storage plans at very affordable prices.  The service also comes with  features like Flashback and AI‑powered editing that make reliving moments effortless. To allow every Filipino access to artificial intelligence, Globe launched its  AI Fiesta  that brings together leading AI models in one platform.  No need for expensive subscription fees, the AI Fiesta offers budget-friendly access ...

 ILOILO CITY - MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power), the sole electricity distributor in Iloilo City, has taken a bold step toward securing the region’s power future. This landmark initiative for the Western Visayas energy sector introduces the area’s first fully unmanned 30MVA substation. This historic milestone stems not from hasty planning but from years of intensive assessment and careful forecasting of consumer needs. The achievement represents a major advance in modernizing the region’s power infrastructure, underscoring MORE Power’s commitment to efficient, reliable, and innovative service for Ilonggo consumers. The facility is remotely controlled from MORE Power’s Control Center via an advanced Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. Fully automated, it is operated and managed entirely from the center, with real-time data delivering all essential information. State-of-the-art design allows monitoring of load flow, voltage levels, and equipment c...

Cebu Pacific (PSE: CEB), the Philippines’ leading carrier, today took delivery of a brand-new Airbus A320neo aircraft, further strengthening its fleet with modern and fuel-efficient jets. The aircraft arrived in Manila from Airbus’ facility in Tianjin, China, marking the second of four A320neo aircraft expected to join CEB’s fleet this year. In total, CEB anticipates the delivery of seven NEO aircraft in 2026 as part of its ongoing fleet modernization program. “The arrival of another Airbus A320neo reinforces our commitment to sustainability while keeping air travel accessible,” said Xander Lao, CEB President and Chief Commercial Officer. “In today’s operating environment, NEO aircraft also play an important role in helping us manage costs, improve operational efficiency, and reduce our carbon footprint.” Airbus NEO aircraft now comprise 74% of CEB’s jet fleet. Compared to previous-generation aircraft, these aircraft burn 15-20% less fuel per flight and produce significantly less noise...

ILOILO CITY — MORE Electric and Power Corporation is passing on relief to Ilonggo consumers with a reduction in electricity rates for May, despite upward pressure on global commodity prices stemming from the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. The residential rate for May is ₱11.8710 per kWh, down from ₱12.14 per kWh in April. The commercial rate falls to ₱11.00 per kWh from ₱11.27 last month. The movement in retail rates is primarily attributed to a lower transmission charge, which declined to ₱0.26/kWh versus the previous month. The system loss charge was also trimmed by ₱0.027/kWh, reflecting the transmission adjustment; overall system loss improved from 5.37% to 5.20%. On the other hand, the generation charge rose by ₱0.05/kWh due to higher coal prices and increased freight costs associated with imports. Inflation (CPI) and foreign exchange fluctuations also pushed generation costs upward. Prices in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market likewise climbed to ₱4.47/kWh. Despite the upt...