Amlig-Kuryente Bats for REAL Solution to CENECO Woes vs. JVA

CDA a Must

Amlig-Kuryente Convenor Wilson Gamboa, Jr., in a forum last April 22, 2023 held at the Apollo Restaurant, Shopping, unwaveringly proposes real solutions to the “bleeding” and “ICU-tic” condition of Central Negros Electric Cooperative, Inc. (CENECO) particularly on consequent problems of the impending but “a done deal” Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with a private entity justified by CENECO management as the lack of capitalization and systems losses.

Gamboa, together with Amlig-Kuryente, explained that their complaints and cries do not stop at sheer expose’ but on the REAL alternative solutions as well and not JVA.

JVA with a Private Business

Gamboa and the Amlig-Kuryente group dubbed the CENECO JVA with a private entity as “the root of all evils”, its approval meant the relinquishment, surrender and sell-out of the basic human right of the Members-Consumers-Owners (MCOs) to electricity as a basic commodity and service imbued with public interest.

He explained that this “surrender of human rights” is likewise abnegating cooperative and government functions and duties to manage, run and operate a public utility like CENECO to a private business that would engulf government resources and worst for a profit thus leaving the MCOs to suffer unjustifiable rate increases, fees, charges, unreasonable adjustments, pass on charges, among others.

JVA does not guarantee better service, he said.

Lack of Capitalization

In various media platforms, CENECO is displayed to be “bleeding” from lack of capitalization.

Gamboa wanted that the CENECO Board of Directors (BOD) and Management must creatively design a “relief package” for all uncollected accounts from Local Government Units (LGU), barangays, i.e., Barangay Singcang for illegal tapping, City of Bacolod account; and subsequently design additional revenue measures by collecting appropriate charges from cable and telecommunication companies using the CENECO electric posts.

He added the CENECO BOD and Management must utilized the Reinvestment Funds from Sustainable CAPEX (RFSC – charged to all consumers every billing period) – which run by the billions by now sitting idly at a commercial bank and likewise, avail of a Seven-BILLION-Peso available loan at the minimum from the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).

After all, More Power will likewise do the same by using the JVA as collateral, he also said.

Systems Losses

Gamboa also explained that the systems losses incurred and likewise paraded by the CENECO Management is a management issue brought about by mismanagement, inefficiency in the monitoring system, corruption and is a pass on charges in the first place.

He said that nevertheless, to solve systems losses, CENECO must invest in pieces of equipment, i.e., using the integration and application of the Systems Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), otherwise, change the composition of the BOD and Management who are incompetent and who had a “defeatist approach” over these management issues with nothing else to offer but the JVA.

CSP Compliance and CDA Registration

Gamboa reiterated that CENECO must honestly obtain Power Supply Agreement (PSA) following the Competitive Selection Process (CSP) or bidding in partnership with an honest government regulatory agency, i.e., NEA, DOE, ERC, exacting the highest standards of performance from the Generators, to Transmitters and to the Distribution Utilities like CENECO.

He stressed, most importantly and above anything else, CENECO must democratize itself as a cooperative by conducting massive information, education and communication campaign to MCOs, transforming itself into a genuine and true consumers’ cooperative, of which a Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) registration is a must.* (PR)