A TikTok video reposted as a Facebook (FB) Reel claimed that power supply from the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) will be replaced by advanced technology. This is a clickbait. President Ferdinand Marcos’ speech, as featured in the video, did not suggest this.
“Goodbye meralco | hello advance technology (sic) | MARCOS ADMINISTRATION,” the in-video caption read.
This claim deceived many netizens. In the comments section, some wished it were true and praised Marcos for replacing Meralco, while some asked that other local electricity distributors be eliminated as well.
The video shows Marcos and San Miguel Corp (SMC) President and CEO Ramon Ang during the inauguration of SMC’s Global Power’s Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Limay, Bataan on March 31.
Neither Marcos nor Ang mentioned Meralco in their speeches. Meralco is currently operating under a 25-year franchise signed in 2003.
VERA Files Fact Check has earlier debunked a similar claim. (Read: Marcos DID NOT shut down Meralco)
BESS is a project of SMC Global Power. With a 50 megawatt (MW) storage capacity, it is designed to store excess power generated by power plants and distribute such surplus power during periods of high energy demand.
It is one of 32 facilities with a total capacity of 1,000 MW that SMC Global Power aims to finish by the end of the year.
The misleading video posted on April 17 by FB page Solid BBM SARA supporters (created on March 20, 2022) got 240,352 interactions. It appeared a day after Meralco signed an emergency power supply agreement with South Premiere Power Corp. for 180 megawatts of capacity.
The original video, uploaded on April 2 by TikTok user @nhielverano28, garnered 121,781 interactions.
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(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)
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