• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
Members of the Anti-Ceneco-JVA Coalition that was launched yesterday in Bacolod City, signed a manifesto opposing the proposed Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) between Ceneco and Ignite Power and Energy Holdings, Inc. (MORE Power), for being inimical and grossly disadvantageous to the power utility firm’s consumers and employees.
The manifesto said Ceneco is a public service cooperative imbued with public interest, and therefore its management and operation cannot be placed in the hands of a private entity without violating a constitutional mandate that cooperatives should be instruments of social justice and economic alleviation.
A joint venture agreement will result in increases in power rates as the principal motive of MORE Power is to ensure the return of its investment (ROI) or profit, to the disadvantage and suffering of paying consumers. For the record, Ceneco power rates stand at P1.0348 per kilowatt hour, while MORE Power rates are P2.3226 per KWH, it said.
Melvin Casipe, vice president of the United PWD Association for Rehabilitation and Development (UPARO, Inc.), said yesterday they are opposing the JVA since it is they who belong to the marginalized sector who will be greatly affected if power rates increase, because they could even hardly make ends meet.
Ernie Pineda, Member-Consumer-Owner Federation president, said they formed the coalition to oppose the JVA. Their federation is composed of nine districts (franchise areas of Ceneco) covering the cities of Bacolod, Bago, Talisay, and Silay, as well as the municipalities of Murcia and Salvador Benedicto.
Social Action Center Director Fr. Cris Gonzales said they will attend and participate in the 45th Annual General Membership Assembly (AGMA) of Ceneco at Acacia Hotel on Sunday, and will also continue conducting education campaigns to inform the people what the JVA is all about.
“While MORE Power wants to introduce their company, at the moment it is their belief that the JVA is disadvantageous for the people,” he said.
Gonzales said they don’t deny that Ceneco has a problem, from the management, personnel, systems loss, etc. But is the JVA the solution or should we find someone who is capable of managing Ceneco? He asked.
“We should not surrender the ownership of Ceneco but should find a solution to the problem. We believe that the control over basic services should belong the government or the people whose purpose is service-oriented instead of giving it to a private entity whose objective is to earn profit,” Gonzales added.*
