Negros Power: The Game Changer in 2025

One of the major changes power consumers experienced in 2024 was Negros Power’s takeover of Ceneco’s electric distribution system and all its related functions.

Negros Power had its baptism of fire when, barely a month after its takeover on August 1, 2024, the Alijis Substation Transformers conked out, leaving more than 40,000 consumers in Barangays Alijis, Mansilingan, Felisa and Handumanan in the dark for several days.

Despite this formidable challenge, Negros Power remained unbowed, candidly explaining what happened, unflinchingly accepting responsibility for it, and relentlessly implementing repairs to substantially shorten the brownouts and to minimize chances of its recurrence.

Roel Z. Castro, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Negros Power, faced the public and explained what happened to the 13-year old Alijis substation transformer. During the old dispensation, consumers could not recall when the top honchos showed their faces on TV and social media to explain and take the blame for brownouts.

The factors which caused the Alijis substation transformer to explode, particularly its constant overloading, were already existing a long time before Negros Power assumed responsibility for Ceneco’s distribution system on August 1, 2024. The trouble occurred barely a month after the company took over Ceneco’s operations. Yet, Castro openly accepted responsibility for the debacle.

Moreover, Castro and the top technical people of the company gave a daily, almost blow-by-blow account, complete with video footages and photos, of the measures they were implementing to expedite the restoration of power.

Negros Power constructed a new six-kilometer transmission line costing millions of pesos from Blumentritt, Murcia to Alijis, so that the Murcia substation could immediately supply power to the Alijis substation.

In a leap of faith, Negros Power risked hundreds of millions of pesos, when it brought the 10MV mobile substation transformer owned by its sister company, MORE Power of Iloilo City, to immediately supply some of the power requirements of the Alijis substation. Working nonstop day and night, the company installed and energized the 10 MVA mobile substation transformer a full day ahead of its committed schedule.

After the restoration of electricity, Castro addressed the consumers:
“We are not happy about what has happened, but we are committed to making things better for the consumers. Just give us time, space, and the benefit of the doubt. We will prove ourselves in due time,” Castro said.

The Alijis Substation debacle would have pulverized organizations made of lesser stuff. For Negros Power, it served as a springboard to showcase its brand of service.

As the rest of Year 2024 unfolded, consumers experienced the Negros Power brand of service, particularly the unparalleled customer-centric orientation, timely and candid sharing of information, and out-of-the-box innovations.

The Negros Power Office at Robinsons East has wide open spaces which spell “Welcome!” to consumers. The employees and even the security guards are cordial and more than willing to help. This is in stark contrast to the previous experience of consumers, who were often viewed as nuisances by electric coop employees.

In one of Negros Power’s interaction with the media sometime in June 2024, Chief Operating Officer Engr. Bernard Bailey del Castillo committed that Negros Power would keep consumers properly informed about power interruptions.

The company lived up to Engr. Del Castillo’s commitment, announcing scheduled power interruptions days before their occurrence, enumerating activities which they will undertake, explaining reasons for such measures, providing a timeline for power restoration, and sending regular updates on the activities. Such is also the practice during unscheduled power interruptions, even those occurring in unholy hours.

As to innovations, Negros Power established hotlines and a Facebook Messenger account which consumers could access for their concerns, be they power interruptions or billing matters. These communication lines are monitored 24/7 by a dedicated team which responds as soon as possible to the consumers.

Negros Power also made available the GCash and other online options to make it easier for consumers to settle their bills. The company streamlined the procedure in applying for electric service connection, and assists applicants in processing their requirements with the Office of the Building Official.

Mentioning each of Negros Power’s innovations will consume the entire column space, but the abovementioned three stand out for having substantial impact on making things easy for consumers.

This 2025, consumers expect Negros Power to deliver the same brand of service. And based on what consumers have experienced so far, Negros Power delivers on its commitments.*