• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The House of Representatives on Wednesday granted a franchise for the Negros Electric Power Corp. (NEPC) to establish, operate, and maintain a distribution system for supplying electric power to end-users in various areas within Negros Occidental.
A total of 225 members voted in favor of granting franchise to NEPC while nine others registered opposition, with one abstention.
NEPC seeks to become the power distributor in the cities of Bacolod, Bago, Silay, and Talisay as well as in the municipalities of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto in Negros Occidental.
The bill was authored by Abang Lingkod partylist Rep. Stephen Joseph Paduano, and co-sponsored by by Negros Occidental 3rd District Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez and 4th District Rep. Juliet Marie Ferrer, and Bacolod City Lone District Rep. Greg Gasataya.
After its approval in the Lower House, it will be forwarded to the Senate for its concurrence.
Upon Senate approval, the bill, signed by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and certified by the respective secretaries, will be forwarded to the President.
Once the bill is approved by the President, it will be assigned a Republic Act number and returned to the House of Representatives, a press statement from the NEPC said.
NEPC hopes to provide a “cheaper, more efficient, and eco-friendly” electric supply to Negros and “ensure a continuous and uninterrupted supply of electricity in the franchise area.”
Under the new company, 30 percent of the ownership will be retained by Central Negros Electric Cooperative while NEPC will purchase 70 percent of its assets. | GB
