- GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The signed Joint Venture Agreement between the Central Negros Electric Cooperative and Primelectric Holdings Inc. got the support also of Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Benitez.
Earlier, Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer expressed their support to the JVA.
Benitez said Sunday that he is rallying Ceneco member-consumers in Bacolod City to vote Yes for the JVA, stressing that MORE Electric and Power Corporation met his three conditions, such as reduction in electricity rates, reduced power interruptions, and to tap renewable energy generators.
The JVA plebiscite is scheduled on June 24 and 25, as well as on July 1 and 2.
Benitez said that he got a favorable endorsement from Mayor Jerry Treñas, citing their experiences with MORE Power in Iloilo.
“This is the kind of management (of a distribution utility) we need,” Benitez said, adding that “all the ingredients needed are with the JVA”.
Seventy percent of the Ceneco member-consumers are in Bacolod City, with the remaining 30 percent spread in Silay, Talisay, Bago, Murcia, and Don Salvador Benedicto. It has 210,000 member-consumers.
Benitez said he is scheduled to meet with renewable energy distributors to discuss the supply of power to Ceneco.
The mayor said he was also told by MORE Power that they will be able to cut down the system loss from the current eight percent, to five percent, and that they will invest P2 billion on Day 1 for the replacement and improvement of antiquated Ceneco equipment and facilities, among others.
“That is a big reduction. It shows the efficiency of the distribution utility,” Benitez added.
“If we are looking for a good manager for our power distribution system in Bacolod, this is it,” the mayor stressed.
As to apprehension of Ceneco employees on losing their jobs, Benitez said they are being guaranteed priority in hiring, once the JVA is approved.
He added that Ceneco cannot move forward, as it cannot qualify for a loan since it is saddled with inefficient operation, noting that the power cooperative has an outstanding loan of P600 million to P800 million.
Benitez said that the JVA will ensure better services and lower electricity rates.
As to the apprehension that electricity rates will increase if the JVA is approved, Benitez said that any rate increase is regulated and has to go through the Energy Regulatory Commission./GB
