April 25, 2025 – MANILA — A recent province-wide survey has revealed growing dissatisfaction among Batangas residents over the unreliable electricity service provided by BATELEC 1 and BATELEC 2. The findings show that frequent outages are eroding public confidence in the province’s two largest electric cooperatives, with many residents now considering alternative providers. The survey, conducted by Capstone-Intel Corporation, covered all 34 cities and municipalities of Batangas and included 1,200 respondents. Using Probability Proportional to Size sampling to ensure representativeness, the study found that 62 percent of respondents experience one to two outages per month, while others reported as many as ten. Among the hardest hit are consumers served by BATELEC 2, with 93 percent reporting multiple interruptions. In comparison, 81 percent of BATELEC 1 customers reported similar experiences. These brownouts typically last one to two hours, but some extend to three hours. In contrast, residents in areas served by other distribution utilities reported fewer disruptions, highlighting a significant difference in service reliability. “These findings underscore a widening gap in electricity service across the province,” said Dr. Guido David, Chief Data Scientist of Capstone-Intel. “Reliable electricity is not just a convenience—it’s a prerequisite for economic growth and quality of life.” The survey also tracked consumer satisfaction, revealing that BATELEC 1 and BATELEC 2 both scored below the provincial average of 4.09. BATELEC 1 received a rating of 3.96, and BATELEC 2 scored 3.90. Their customer service ratings also lagged, with scores of 3.80 and 3.90 respectively, compared to the average of 4.04. Significantly, many residents expressed a desire to switch providers. Among respondents served by BATELEC 2, the willingness to transfer was particularly strong. In response to mounting criticism, BATELEC II issued a public statement in late 2023, attributing the outages to environmental causes. “The power interruptions across Batangas are due to storms and other weather disturbances that cause damage to power lines and insulations,” said Joan Orias, Consumer Services and Public Relations Manager of BATELEC II. With midterm elections approaching, power reliability has emerged as a major political issue. A significant portion of respondents said they are willing to vote for candidates who prioritize resolving Batangas’ electricity issues. Support for such candidates was highest among BATELEC 1 consumers. Capstone-Intel concluded that improving service reliability is essential for the province’s development, noting Batangas’ role as a hub for industrial zones, ports, and growing towns. Dr. David emphasized, “This survey is a wake-up call—not just for utilities, but for government leaders as well. The people of Batangas are demanding dependable power, and they’re paying attention to who delivers it.” The survey was conducted in April 2025 and had equal male and female representation among respondents.   Read the full study result here: https://www.capstone-intel.com/a-study-on-the…/

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P-pop, or Pinoy pop, surged in popularity in 2024, solidifying its status as a cultural staple with millions of positive social media engagements, with groups like BGYO, BINI, and SB19 driving its local and global impact. A social media scan by Capstone-Intel Corp. showed that Facebook recorded 12,904 P-pop-related posts between January 1, 2024 and  December 31, 2024. These posts generated 435,448 comments, 790,650 shares, and 10,598,946 reactions, resulting in a high engagement score of 1,894,089.4. Positive sentiment dominated, with 75.8% of reactions being “love,” followed by 18.3% “like,” 4.5% “haha,” 0.9% “wow,” 0.5% “sad,”  and 0.1% “angry.” Posts celebrating P-Pop milestones were particularly well-received. ABS-CBN News garnered the highest number of “love” reactions (191,046) for a post celebrating the senior high school graduation of BGYO members Gelo, Mikki, and JL, alongside BINI members Maloi and Colet. Other popular posts included Philippine Star’s congratulatory message for BINI members Maloi and Colet, its video of the BINI Run event along Roxas Blvd., and GMA News’ coverage of BINI performing at the M Countdown preshow in Los Angeles, California. The most engaging post came from ABS-CBN News, featuring the senior high school graduation of BGYO and BINI members, achieving an engagement score of 47,565.1. It was followed by Philippine Star’s post about BINI’s “Cherry on Top” music video reelease (21,578.5), GMA News’ story on BINI’s M Countdown performance (20,411.1), and Philippine Star’s post celebrating BINI’s achievements (19,056.9), including their “BINIVERSE: The First Solo Concert” (17,782.4). Other notable posts included Philippine Star’s post about BINI’s Stacey starring in Dionela’s “Sining” music video featuring Jay R (15,417.6); Philippine Star’s video showcasing the BINI Run event along Roxas Blvd. (13,472.8); and Rappler’s coverage of BINI’s M Countdown preshow performance(12,985.5). SB19 also trended, with posts celebrating their 2024 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards win for Favorite Asian Act (11,815.1) and A’TIN’s victory in Billboard’s Fan Army Face-Off 2024 (11,505.0).

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The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) enjoined candidates and campaign managers to responsibly adopt digital innovation in their campaigns. “Prioritize the truth, transparency and practice ethical campaigning,”Commissioner Rey Bulay emphasized during the National Election Game Changer Summit held in November 2024 at the Marquis Events Place in BGC, Taguig City. “Our electorate deservers no less. Let us prioritize security both online and offline. Protect personal data, guard against hacking, and secure communication channels to ensure the safety of candidates, teams and thne democratic proces,” he added. Bulay highlighted that the rise of technologies like social media and artificial intelligence poses new challenges for the commission. According to him, while these tools are powerful, they can be weaponized to spread misinformation, sway public opinion, and undermine the credibility of elections. “Napakadali pong mag-confuse ng voters sa social media. Yun lamang pong maliin kung saan ang polling place may problema na tayo. Fostering mistrust and dangerous or irreversible errors mean voter disenfranchisement. The antidote is very simple: accurate information for a well-informed electorate. But how do you do it? They should be able to discern fact from fiction,” he explained. Bulay underscored the imporance of fact-checking as a cornerstone of modern election management, urging COMELEC, media organizations, and civil society to foster a culture of verification. “We should be able to flag false content on social platforms and, more importantly, provide accessible, readily available credible sources of information,” he urged. The commissioner reminded the public that COMELEC’s role is not to predict election outcomes but to ensure every vote is cast freely and that voters have access to the truth. “As we stand on the edge of new era in Philippine elections, I ask each one of you to committ to this vision, a vision where technology is used for good. Disinformation is thwarted and the voice of the people is protected and amplified. “With COMELEC leading the way, let us please work togethjer to ensure that the 2025 elections will be remembered for the victory of the voters, of the candidates, of the truth, of transparency and democracy.”

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