MANILA - Customers of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) will enjoy another reduction in their electricity bills due to the drop in the generation charge this month.

According to Meralco, its power rates will go down by 16.3 centavos per kilowatt-hour in August owing to cheaper power sourced from the National Power Corp. and higher dispatch of independent power producers, which brought down the generation charge to P4.10 per kWh.

"We are sure that customers will welcome this development since a reduction in their electricity bills will mean more purchasing power at their disposal," Meralco vice-president for utility economics Ivanna dela Pena said, adding that power rates are likely to go down further next month.

Meanwhile, transport group Pasang Masda is planning to go on strike amid speculations that diesel costs are set to rise again. On Monday, the country's "Big 3" oil players announced respective price increases in their fuel products effective Tuesday.

Chevron Philippines (formerly Caltex), Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., and Petron Corp. raised prices of their gasoline and kerosene products by P1 and P0.50, respectively. The price adjustments, they said, were made "to reflect movements in international oil prices."

Pasang Masda also criticized the Supreme Court's decision to stop a lower court's order to several government agencies to audit oil firms' books. -abs-cbnNEWS.com, with Alvin Elchico, ABS-CBN News