Great debate on MORE Power-Ceneco JVA

IT IS obvious that the political leaders of Negros Occidental and Bacolod City are being careful, making cautious comments on the Joint Venture Agreement proposal of MORE Power with the Central Negros Electric Cooperative.

Both Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and City Mayor Albee Benitez as of now are just content singing motherhood lines predicated by bleeding hearts that shout: “as long as this benefits the consumers; solve power interruptions; reduce power rates…”

Both are apparently trying to avoid unnecessary criticisms from consumers who enjoy the singular view of big business as profit-hungry monsters, not necessarily as drivers of economic growth.

Their middle-ground stance appears weak if gauged against the aggressive pronouncements of Mr. Wennie Sancho, secretary-general of Power Watch Negros Advocate (PWNA).

Sancho, on February 3, 2023 questioned the alleged excessive salary increases of supervisors and confidential employees of CENECO. This was given prominence by several news organizations foremost of which is SunStar Bacolod. Just one of the negativities that Sancho hurled against Ceneco and its management.

Subsequently, on March 22, 2023, online news visayandailystar.com reported that “Power Watch Negros has high expectations that the unsolicited proposal of two firms for a joint venture agreement with the Central Negros Electric Cooperative, will improve the services of the power utility firm.

“Wennie Sancho…said they are looking forward that the joint venture proposal will provide consumers more affordable, reliable, efficient and stable power supply.

“Ceneco failed in its task to overhaul and rehabilitate the most basic facilities, particularly the substations and power lines, which are literally overheating to full capacity. It also failed to calibrate thousands of old and defective meters, and to check massive pilferages by unscrupulous consumers.”

Clearly, Mr. Sancho is not only championing the unsolicited JVA of MORE Power. It is also attacking Ceneco and the people running the electric cooperative, a seemingly perennial problem that needs the ultimate solution of management change.

Who is Wennie Sancho?

On May 8, 2021, NegrosNOWDaily, the online edition of Negros Weekly News Magazine, wrote quoting the man himself: “I am just an ordinary person who was given a calling by God, to be a labor leader…”

“I founded and became an officer of several labor and multi-sectoral organizations. Among them, was the Negros Labor Forum in 1993. I was the Secretary-General of the Negros Labor Alliance Council in 1995. I was the founding president of the West Negros College (now STI University) Faculty and Employees Labor Union in 1987.”

Mr. Sancho’s aggressive and loud push for the JVA must have raised not a few eyebrows, especially in the ranks of cause-oriented groups. The champion of labor rights and welfare now appears to be the spearhead of big business taking over the operations of Ceneco.

But like Governor Lacson and City Mayor Benitez, Mr. Sancho can always find comfort in the umbrella provided by the concept of consumer rights protection. Laborers are also consumers. Indeed, Mr. Sancho should protect the rights of Ceneco consumers by urging Ceneco to solve its technical problems, medieval equipment concerns, and the underpinning core issue of affordable power rates. And this can only be done through MORE Power-Ceneco joint venture agreement.

Maybe.