Utilities 'may not survive' if they pay system loss charges alone — MVPMANILA, Philippines — Manila Electric Company (Meralco) chairman Manny V. Pangilinan warned that the power industry in the country “may not survive” if utility companies alone will shoulder the costs of system loss charges. Marcos said the system losses are not the consumers’ fault and therefore must not be charged on their monthly bills. Meralco and the national organization of electric cooperatives, the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, had earlier expressed conditional support for the proposal. They called for a careful review, warning that utility companies could face bankruptcy should it be implemented without proper government support. As a result, Escucha explained, these electric cooperatives may demand higher subsidies from the National Electrification Administration (NEA), a state-owned corporation attached to the Department of Energy that provides subsidies to rural electric cooperatives in the country.