Power Watch urges patience during Negros Power transition

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY – Power Watch Secretary-General Wennie Sancho appealed to consumers on Tuesday for their patience and understanding during the initial phase of Negros Power’s operation. He emphasized that quality often takes time, and rushing may lead to inferior results.

“Anything of significant value or importance requires considerable effort and time. We should not expect results overnight,” Sancho said.

Sancho noted that major undertakings, such as the 5-Year Development Plan of Negros Electric and Power Corp. (Negros Power), are not completed all at once.

“A complex task or great achievement implies that patience and perseverance are crucial,” he pointed out.

According to Roel Castro, President and CEO of Negros Power, “There is no quick fix for the long-standing issues plaguing the outdated facilities and electric distribution system.”

He stressed the need for patience, understanding, and cooperation from consumers during this transitional phase.

Adjustments will be made progressively as they move towards full operation and initiate the planned 5-year rehabilitation and modernization process.

Sancho quoted the phrase “Rome wasn’t built in a day” to remind consumers that significant improvements don’t happen overnight and require time, effort, and patience.

He emphasized the importance of patience and perseverance in managing expectations about the time needed to complete tasks or achieve significant milestones.

The rehabilitation of Central Negros Electric Cooperative’s (CENECO) infrastructure is a complex and challenging task that cannot be rushed.

“While it is true that there are about 220,000 registered consumers in the franchise area of Negros Power, more CENECO customers come from Negros Occidental province, making up around 70% of total customer connections,” Sancho said, citing the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED).

Regarding power usage, approximately half of the island’s electricity is used by CENECO customers, while only a quarter is used by customers in Negros Oriental.

Moreover, CENECO services approximately 1,068,094 people, about one-third of the Negros Occidental population, and roughly a quarter of the entire Negros Island population, according to the “Repower Negros: A Scoping Study of Negros Island’s Power Sector Transformation” (September 2020).

Extending electricity services to more than a million people is a significant challenge for Negros Power, along with the urgent need to upgrade the electrical infrastructure in Central Negros. This is the underlying reason why Power Watch Negros is appealing to consumers for their patience and understanding, Sancho added.