A group of homeowners and consumers on Monday, March 18 has urged the Senate to approve the granting of a congressional franchise to Negros Electric and Power Corp. (NEPC), reiterating their support for the privatization of electric power distribution. 

The group, composed of community associations in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, voiced their support for the granting of a franchise to NEPC, whose application is now pending before the Senate Committee on Public Services headed by Sen. Grace Poe. 

The group also voiced their disappointment in the poor service provided by the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO).

“CENECO, as an electric cooperative distribution utility, miserably failed to provide us with adequate power supply, resulting in massive blackouts, power outages, and brownouts,” said Jesben Duday, Chairperson of Parents of Purok Riverside Inc.

“We were deprived of our need for a reliable power supply and efficient services for several decades despite paying our monthly bills religiously,” Duday said.

Julie Alob, chairperson of Banago Yuhom Takers Association, also expressed dismay at the high systems loss of CENECO: “the services of CENECO are inadequate contrary to our expectations. We have to bear the financial burden of the systems loss incurred by CENECO, but being passed on to our electricity rate charges.”

The women's organization also cited the burdens they suffered whenever there is unscheduled power interruptions in their area.

“Electricity is a basic necessity that affects the lives of all our family members and homeowners. We need electricity to prepare meals and to get news and information from the radio and television. Without power or energy, there is no water supply for drinking, personal hygiene, and daily chores at home. The safety and security of our homes and family members are in danger without light in the night's darkness, " Nona Dela Cruz, head of the Tinagong Paraiso Empowered Women's Organization, said.
 

“Instead of comfort and convenience, we have been suffering from inconvenience and frustrations that we do not deserve as consumers due to poor consumer care, said Jun Mart-Tan, head of the Mahimulaton Home Owners Association.

“We support the Congressional franchise application of NEPC, hopefully, to end, if not minimize power outages and other forms of frequency disturbances," they stated in the joint statement submitted to the Senate.

Earlier, member-consumer-owners overwhelmingly approved the joint venture agreement between CENECO and NEPC in the plebiscite last year. 

Based on the agreement, Primelectric Holdings Inc., NEPC’s mother company, will purchase all the electric distribution assets of CENECO through 70 percent cash and 30 percent share once NEPC gets the congressional franchise to operate in the cities of Bacolod, Bago, Silay, and Talisay and municipalities of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto.

Poe, during a Senate hearing on the issue, assured employees of CENECO, who are facing possible job displacement, that they would be given benefits as part of the progressive changes with the impending joint venture.