Ceneco, Baciwa suspend disconnection

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Central Negros Electric Cooperative Chief of the Consumer Services Division Roel Venus, confirmed Tuesday that the power utility firm has suspended anew the disconnection of delinquent consumers.

Venus told the Daily Guardian that disconnection is suspended until Sept 30, 2020.

This after the city has been placed under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) from Sept 8-30, 2020.

Venus said there will be no disconnection until the end of the month, but it will only be in Bacolod because of the MECQ status.

Aside from Bacolod City, Ceneco’s service areas include Bago, Talisay, and Silay, and the towns of Murcia and Salvador Benedicto.

He also said the main office in Bacolod will be open Monday to Friday, 8 am to 3 pm to accept bills payment.

Meanwhile Bacolod City Water District general manager Juliana Carbon also confirmed that Baciwa has again suspended disconnection activities until October 30, 2020.

This also includes suspension of the imposition of penalty charges.

Carbon also said their office will be closed to the public effective September 20 and will reopen and start accepting bill payments on October 5.

She further said that the reading of water meters and delivery of bills for September are also suspended.

Carbon said that the billing for the current month will be based on the billing consumption in August.

She further said that the October bill will include the September billing, the arrears as of August 31, and other charges.

Earlier, the Sangguniang Palungsod of Bacolod has asked the Central Negros Electric Cooperative, Bacolod City Water District, telecoms, and other utilities in the city to suspend disconnection activities due to the declaration of Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine in Bacolod until Sept. 30.

The resolution authored by Councilor Simplicia Distrito and co-authored by Councilor Wilson Gamboa was approved by the SP in its recent regular session.

Distrito said the suspension of disconnections will allow consumers and subscribers who lost their jobs and are financially burdened during the pandemic to recover.