Group says Ceneco JVA is answer to power woes

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – A power advocacy group has expressed support for the proposed Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) between Central  Negros Electric Cooperative ( Ceneco) and Ignite Power.

The JVA is currently in the process and about to undergo due diligence, according to Ceneco.

In his letter to Councilor Claudio Jesus Raymundo Puentevella, chairperson of the Bacolod City Council committee on Energy and Public Utilities, Power Watch-Negros secretary general Wennie Sancho said the fruition of the JVA between Ceneco and Ignite Power “will provide efficient services, affordable and reliable power supply.”

He added that this will be achieved after the rehabilitation of Ceneco’s infrastructure, substations, plants, and other equipment by installing state-of-the-art technologies and gadgets that would revolutionize this distribution facility to serve and meet the demands of the consumers.

Sancho contended that the support of Power Watch Negros is grounded on the premise that “power supply is vital to the economic development.”

He stressed that a stable, affordable, and reliable power supply will attract more investors, create more job opportunities, and increase the worker’s purchasing power to pump prime the economy and sustain the needs of the people.

Sancho further said that Power Watch will also conduct an information campaign on the JVA in line with this advocacy to inform the public and to educate the Ceneco consumers in Bacolod City on the basic principles of JVA.

He added that while they are not experts in this area, they will try their best to present the JVA from a layman’s point of view, to pave the way for an educational atmosphere that is conducive to the acceptance of the JVA by the Ceneco consumers, when the time comes.

Earlier Ceneco acting general manager Arnel Lapore said that the JVA is a needed shot in the arm of the “bleeding” power utility firm after a presentation was conducted by Ignite Power president Roel V. Castro, who is also the president and COO of MORE Power in Iloilo City, recently.

He also said that the JVA will give Ceneco a new lease on life and a fresh start. He further described the proposed JVA between the electric cooperative and MORE Power as a “good thing”, which he expects will improve and develop the distribution utility.

“Let us be open about it, we have this option, the possibility of infusing capital that will improve and develop our distribution utility,” Lapore said.

“Ceneco is losing P15 to 20 million a month due to the subsidy to the systems loss. We can’t afford to continue bleeding until we can no longer pay our power suppliers. The systems loss is eating up our resources,” he further said.

The presentation was attended by all members of the board, the two union presidents, the department managers, the commission of managers, area managers, National Electrification Administration (NEA) project supervisor Atty. Vic Alvaro, and Atty. Ivan Zamora from the office of NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda.