Negros Power and Electric Corp. (Negros Power) did not spring like a ball of fire from out of nowhere. Negros Power did not forced itself insidiously into the people to be the reliable partner in the rehabilitation and transformation of CENECO as a distribution utility.
According to a press release from Power Watch – Negros, Negros Power gained the imprimatur of the people with the ratification of the Joint Venture Agreement (JVA). From the consumers’ perspective, the emergence of Negros Power is the result of the peoples’ struggle to have an adequate access to affordable, reliable and efficient power supply, suffice it to say that Negros Power is born of the people.
Negros Power came at a critical time of extreme weather conditions marked by unprecedented heat wave coupled with a deteriorating power supply in Negros. As temperature reached record highs, the surge in electricity demand, especially for cooling-places immense pressure on the already strained power grid. This combination has led to power outages across the region. Massive blackouts occurred in Panay and Negros highlighting the system’s vulnerability during period of drained energy resources. Negros province came perilously close to brownout conditions multiple times.
Amid this alarming situation, the leadership of Negros Power were able to surpass the test of time. NEPC president Roel Castro was able to steer the course of Negros Power in the right direction, because of his willingness and ability to deal with tough issues in the energy sector. Castro is capable of guiding Negros Power through the turbulent world of the power industry, the statement claimed.
The bulk of Negros workforce were former employees of CENECO who were rehired as stipulated in the JVA. Most of them possess wealth of experience in this field of endeavor, “giving light to the people”. They usually came from classes and sectors that comprise most of the people in our society, the common and ordinary people. The employees of Negros Power are indeed born of the people.
Power Watch Sec.-Gen. Wennie Sancho avers that the employees of Negros Power, more than most other groups in our society, have greater experiential knowledge and sensitivity to the problems of the majority of electric consumers, who are the people.
Since they are from the people, it is natural for them to dedicate themselves to the people, to focus their desires and aspirations and to do this work in cooperation with the people. They are predisposed to take to heart the rules and duties that the people expect of them as the implementors of the noble vision of Negros Power, for the people. In the final analysis, if the Negros Power is born of the people, then there will be an overwhelming support from the people themselves, because real power is the peoples’ power, the statement ended.*
