By Mae Singuay
Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez said the city is now looking for better power distribution services.
Benitez finally disclosed his favorable opinion of the joint venture agreement (JVA) between the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) and Primelectric Holdings, Inc./Negros Electric Power Corporation, which seeks to improve power distribution service in the cooperative’s franchise areas.
During Bacolod’s 85th Charter Day Anniversary on Sunday, June 18, the mayor urged Bacolodnons to vote “yes” in the upcoming plebiscite for JVA ratification, in an interview with members of the media at a hotel in the city.
“So how [do] we bring better service? Ceneco itself can not move forward. How do we now upgrade our equipment? Mautang ‘ta?” Benitez asked.
“Indi gani sila [Ceneco] ka utang kay ila operation subong is saddled with inefficient operation. May utang pa sila mga P600 to P800 million, makwa pa gid ‘ta utang, malubong na gid,” he said.
“Now it’s a JVA, a different animal. What does it bring? It brings better service, lower electricity rates, ano pa pangitaon ta? Tanan nga ingredients nga kinahanglan naton, ara na sa JVA,” he added.
Benitez also revealed to the media that he would vote “yes” to JVA.
Primelectric — the sister company of MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power), the sole power distributor in Iloilo City — headed by president and chief executive officer Roel Castro, conducted a presentation on the JVA before Benitez and the city council at the Bacolod City Government Center on Friday, June 16.
Benitez said he was satisfied with the JVA presentation because it fits his “three conditions” for lowering electricity rates.
“Siling nila by transforming sang JVA, ang systems loss naton manaog na. Instead of eight point something percent subong, ma-five percent na lang. Dako na ina nga bagay from that point of view. Ang efficiency sang distribution utility should be in place,” Benitez said.
“On Day 1, the said company will invest P2 billion for CAPEX [capital expenditure]. Bal-an ta naman ang aton mga equipment which cause brownouts and fluctuations [are] antiquated, due for replacement na, amo na ang rason damo ‘ta brownouts,” he added.
Primelectric is also amenable to his request for renewable energy.
“The said private distribution utility has met with renewable power generators for them to be able to supply Ceneco,” Benitez said.
Likewise, he has a favorable endorsement coming from no less than Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas.
“Ang iya experience didto, siling niya wala gid kuno nagsala, because of that endorsement, makita mo naman nga ang ila management style will be more than standard sang aton,” Benitez pointed out.
Treñas said, with MORE Power, Iloilo City now has stable and lower power rates unlike in the previous distribution utility where they always experienced brownouts.
Earlier, Ceneco acting general manager Arnel Lapore said the JVA will become effective once the majority (50 percent plus one) of Ceneco’s member-consumer-owners will ratify it in a plebiscite on June 24 and 25, and July 1 and 2, through “yes” votes.
Ceneco has around 214,000 consumer-members in their franchise areas in the Negros Occidental cities of Bago, Talisay and Silay; municipalities of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto, and capital Bacolod City.
Meanwhile, Wennie Sancho, Power Watch Negros Advocates secretary general, said Ceneco, as an ailing electric cooperative, is facing multifarious problems.
“If this upcoming JVA is intended to rehabilitate and overhaul the power infrastructure of Ceneco, in order to level up its technical operation as the platform of the JVA in applying the state-of-the-art technologies and gadgets in order to correct the dismal failure of Ceneco in providing affordable, reliable and efficient power supply, we will not interpose any objection against the JVA,” Sancho said./MS, WDJ