• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
Former Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) president Arnel Lapore was installed yesterday by Antonio Mariano, administrator of the National Electrification Administration (NEA), as acting general manager of the power utility firm.
Mariano challenged Lapore to bring down the rate of systems loss of Ceneco to single digits within 60 days. The rate of 10.30 percent is not acceptable based on NEA standards. So, he suggested that Ceneco seek the assistance of the local government from the mayor to the barangay captains in order to minimize systems losses brought about by pilferage and illegal connections.
Lapore said he cannot do everything alone and will need the cooperation of everyone from top to bottom.
“We need to synchronize not only our actions. We also need coordination, not only of our personnel, but also from our member-consumers,” he said.
Ceneco has announced that the average residential rate for the billing month of January this year is P15.1057/kWh, a decrease of P1.0949/kWh from last month’s rate of P16.2006/kWh.
Meanwhile, Wennie Sancho, one of the convenors of Save and Protect the Ceneco Consumers (SPCC), said they expect Lapore to provide solutions to the problems of the consumers and address Ceneco’s inefficient service, especially the inefficient contracting with power supply agreements which are grossly disadvantageous to the consumers.*
