- GILBERT BAYORAN
About 1,000 barangay officials and leaders in Bacolod City joined local government leaders and multisectoral groups in supporting the proposed Joint Venture Agreement between IGNITE Power and Central Negros Electric Cooperative, in a forum held at the West Negros University gym in the city Sunday, May 28.
MORE Power and IGNITE Power president Roel Castro, who personally briefed the Bacolod City leaders on the advantages of JVA with Ceneco, said that while it looks like there is an initial acceptance, they still need to do more efforts.
At the end of the day, not only barangay captains and leaders will vote (for approval of JVA), but their constituents, Castro added.
Of the 220,000 Ceneco consumers, 70 percent are in Bacolod City, while the remaining 30 percent is spread in the cities of Talisay, Silay, and Bago, as the towns of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto.
Negros Occidental Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer, who is also a Ceneco consumer and a taxpayer of Bacolod City, called on barangay officials to lead in explaining the JVA proposal to their respective constituents, as he did in Bago City.
Ferrer also said that all the mayors within the Ceneco area of coverage, including Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Benitez, are also supporting the JVA proposal.
On May 26, multisectoral groups, composed of the Utilities Consumers Advocates for Reforms, General Alliance of Workers Association, National Congress of Union in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines, Commercial Agro Industrial Labor Organization, United Sugar Farmers Organization, United KCI Labor Union, Power Watch Negros, Multi-Sectoral Alliance for Solidarity and Advocacy, and the Negros Labor Forum, banded together with Ceneco consumers to express their support to the JVA.
They also urged Ceneco and IGNITE Power to expedite the process of finalizing it.
Castro revealed that MORE Power is investing about P4 billion in the proposed JVA with Ceneco.
He said that they will purchase Ceneco assets in the amount ranging from P1.4 billion to P1.7 billion, if the JVA is approved, on top of P2 billion worth of capital expenditures they will invest starting on Day 1.
“But it is safe to say P4 billion (investment),” Castro said.
Ferrer, meanwhile, challenged those who oppose the JVA to present a solution to the current problems confronting Ceneco.
“I have yet to hear any praises for Ceneco services, ever since,” the vice governor stressed.
As to the referendum on JVA, Castro said it will be the Ceneco and the National Electrification Administration that will decide when, although he is optimistic that it will be held within this year.
Castro added that they will have to get the support of 50 percent or more of Ceneco members of good standing to ensure the approval of JVA.
After a meeting and briefing with Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Ferrer, and other provincial officials as well as some mayors, Castro said they will hold another JVA briefing with Bacolod City officials, tentatively on June 5./GB
