PCC Public Advisory

 

System Maintenance Advisory: MAO E-Notification System

Please be advised that the MAO E-Notification System will undergo scheduled maintenance to implement system enhancements from 01 April to 06 April 2026. During this period, the system will be temporarily unavailable.

The last day for electronic submissions through the MAO E-Notification System will be on 31 March 2026 (5:00 PM).

If there are submissions due during the scheduled maintenance period, all concerned parties are advised to ensure the early submission of the necessary documents prior to the maintenance dates.

The enhanced MAO E-Notification System will resume normal operations on Tuesday, 07 April 2026.

For any questions or concerns, please contact the Mergers and Acquisitions Office via email at mergers@phcc.gov.ph or by telephone at +632 8771 9722 local 252.

Please be guided accordingly.

 

 

 

Advisory: LMS Rebranding to PCC eCLASS

In line with its rebranding efforts, PCC's Learning Management System (LMS), previously known as iCLP: Online Learning Hub on Competition Law and Policy, will now be called PCC eCLASS: Enhanced Competition Learning Activities Spaces.

Correspondingly, the platform’s domain name will be changed from iclp.phcc.gov.ph to eclass.phcc.gov.ph.

Please be advised that the LMS will be temporarily unavailable from March 27, 2026 (5:00 PM) to March 31, 2026 (11:59 PM) to facilitate this transition.

Beginning April 1, 2026, users may access PCC’s online courses through the new domain.

 

 

 

PCC Advisory: Trunkline Service Interruption

 

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/ PCC clears Fresh River’s acquisition of Casecnan plant

PRESS RELEASE
6 February 2024

PCC clears Fresh River’s acquisition of Casecnan plant

The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) has cleared Fresh River Lakes Corporation’s (Fresh River) proposed acquisition of the Casecnan Hydroelectric Power Plant (CHEPP) from state-owned Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM) and National Irrigation Administration (NIA).

The Commission en banc on 25 January 2024 cleared Fresh River, a subsidiary of Lopez-led First Gen. Corp, to take over the Casecnan Plant seeing that the transaction would not result in substantial lessening of competition in the relevant markets.

The PCC Mergers and Acquisitions Office (MAO) on 15 December 2023 opened a Phase 1 review into the deal, which assessed potential antitrust concerns that may arise from the transaction.

The MAO found that:

  •                       Competing energy generation companies exert competitive pressure on the parties;
  •                       The volume generated by the Casecnan Plant is unlikely to impact the relevant markets; and
  •                       There are sufficient safeguards in place under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA) to ensure that the market remains competitive.

The Casecnan Plant’s sale aligns with PSALM’s mandate under the EPIRA to privatize all assets and liquidate all financial obligations of state-owned National Power Corporation (NPC).

Fresh River secured the 165-megawatt Casecnan Plant, with the highest bid of USD 526 million. This facility located near Pantabangan and Munoz, Nueva Ecija is a run-of-river hydroelectric power plant, which diverts water from the Casecnan and Taan Rivers through a 26-kilometer-long tunnel to generate energy.

The PCC is mandated under the Philippine Competition Act (PCA) to review mergers and acquisitions to ensure that these deals will not substantially lessen competition in the relevant markets and harm consumer welfare.

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REFERENCE:
publicaffairs@phcc.gov.ph
PCC Public Affairs and Research Division



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