Amlig-Kuryente convenor Wilson Gamboa, Jr., in a forum last April 22 at the Apollo Restaurant, Capitol Shopping Center, Bacolod City, unwaveringly proposed 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 that is justified by CENECO management by the lack of capitalization and systems losses, a press release from Amlig-Kuryente said.
Gamboa, together with Amlig-Kuryente, explained that their complaints and cries do not stop at sheer expose but on the real alternative solutions, not just the 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”, as 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 wants the CENECO Board of Directors (BOD) and management to creatively design a “relief package” for all uncollected accounts from local government units (LGU), barangays, such as, Barangay Singcang for illegal tapping, City of Bacolod account, and subsequently design additional revenue measures by collecting appropriate charges from cable and telecommunication companies for using CENECO electric posts.
He added that the CENECO BOD and management must utilize the Reinvestment Funds from Sustainable CAPEX (RFSC – charged to all consumers every billing period) – which runs to the billions by now, sitting idly at a commercial bank, and likewise, avail of a minimum seven-billion-peso loan available 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, and corruption, is a pass on charge in the first place.
He said that nevertheless, to solve systems losses, CENECO must invest in 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 have 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 Agreements (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, where Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) registration is a must.*
