• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A year after taking over the operations of Central Negros Electric Cooperative, Negros Power has already spent P1.2 billion to rehabilitate and modernize the power distribution system in central Negros, its president, Roel Castro, said.
In a briefing on Wednesday at a hotel in Bacolod City, Castro, who is also the president and CEO of More Power in Iloilo, declared that they are ahead of their target, as stipulated in their five-year comprehensive rehabilitation and modernization program.
The rehabilitation involves replacement of aging infrastructure, upgrading of substations, installation of new equipment like polymer insulators, which aims to reduce power interruptions, improve reliability, and enhance energy distribution for its consumers.
Castro reported that they were able to reduce the system loss to seven percent from 12 percent, after they took over the operations of CENECO.
Negros Power also provided electricity to 1,300 of 2,300 households they targeted under its sitio electrification program, and completed 800 meters of underground cabling at Lacson Street in Bacolod City.
Overall, they have accomplished an average of 27 percent on their 5-year development program.
The first three years in the 5-year development of Negros Power covers the rehabilitation and standardization phase, including meter replacement and installation of elevated metering centers, rehabilitation of major substations, and improvement of infrastructure such as pole replacement, intermediate installation, and line rehabilitation.
The fourth and fifth years, according to Negros Power, will be the modernization and expansion phase, which will involve the use of a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, the establishment of the Capitol Substation, expansion of lines and increased capacity, and continuous improvement of system reliability and capacity.
Castro described the first year operation of Negros Power as “very, very challenging”, as they got all the “baptism of fire,” including the aspect of safety index.
Asked what the Negros Power consumers may expect from them in the next several years, Castro said they will get better services.
Negros Power, the joint venture partner of CENECO, obtained a franchise to manage and operate the electricity distribution system in the cities of Bacolod, Bago, Talisay, and Silay, as well as the municipalities of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto last year.
Castro also admitted hearing of rumors for them to take over another distribution utility in Negros. “Some of them are talking to us. Let’s see how it matures,” he added.*
