BY ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
THIS MONTH’s billing by both Noneco (Northern Negros Electric Cooperative) and Ceneco (Central Negros Electric Cooperative) really, really “shocked” the many.
Dubbed as the August “monster”, it bears around 30 to 35 percent hike. It instantly caused “angryfest” (Angry Festival) among power consumers.
On Facebook (FB), consumers took a swipe against the very flaw of both coops – to inform the public in advance the reason(s) behind this “unbearable” spike before the reading and billing period.
With no-holds-barred, consumers lambasted – to the maximum level – the two electric coops (ECs). Other consumers tagged the August billing a “silent torture”.
Both ECs, however, clarified that the increase was due to their buying of power from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) which is a little bit expensive than from their contracted supplier(s). They’re also paying this line rental in WESM that added to the burden.
But why get power from WESM?
Two reasons necessitated both coops to do so.
1. The high voltage submarine cable of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) in Amlan, Negros Oriental was damaged by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) sometime in June this year, so, it can’t relay power.
2. There’s an ongoing preventive maintenance of a coal-fired power plant by Palm Concepcion Power Corporation (PMPC) in Concepcion in Iloilo, one of the power suppliers of both Noneco and Ceneco.
As a result, both coops are currently short of power supply.
If they’ll not succumb to WESM, their areas of coverage will definitely suffer from brownouts from time-to-time.
Question: Until when will Noneco and Ceneco rely on WESM?
A reliable source said it might be until December this year.
DPWH, per information, notified NGCP that the repair of the busted cable may last ‘till December. But it’s still tentative, depending on weather conditions.
So, Negros and Panay power consumers will have no choice but embrace this strange and frightening reality. What a “bitter pill” to swallow, indeed!
For now, Noneco and Ceneco residential consumers will be paying P13.8 and P12.3/kilo watt hour (kWh), respectively.
Quite too much compared to Iloilo City’s consumers under MORE Power who are currently billed with only P7.9/kWh.
Noneco’s and Ceneco’s reasoning is valid. Their current “exorbitant” rates still have “blessings” from Energy Regulatory Commission’s (ERC).
Questions:
* What effort(s) did they exert to inform the public about this current brouhaha?
* Do they have initial moves aimed at sparing consumers from paying these “unbearable” charges?
Noneco’s Information Section said they’d posted on their FB pages, sent out press releases and made announcements on radios. But all weren’t enough yet. Why do people get shocked?
It’s clear: there’s laxity on their part that triggered the current communication crisis. Perhaps, they forgot the most effective communication strategy amidst crisis – “pulong-pulong sa barangay” or “recorrida”. These remain effective as communications tools that may eventually result to word-of-mouth (WOM) publicity, a potent way of alerting consumers.
Are they not familiar of the basic rights of the consumers? The Consumer Rights and Obligations under the Magna Carta for Residential Electricity Consumers?
One of them is “to be an informed electric consumers and given adequate access to information on matters affecting the electric service of the consumers concerned.”
Even National Electrification Administration (NEA) Memorandum No. 2019-044 mandates all ECs in the country to conduct barangay assembly that will serve as linkage in addressing consumers’ complaint(s) in the barangay.
Not all power consumers have the luxury of time to decipher and understand the technical terms used in press releases or FB posts. Thus, Noneco and Ceneco people really need to exert extra efforts to see to it that everybody understands what they mean.
Consumers are now truly “beyond frustrated”.
ANOTHER FOUR MONTHS
Another point is, since this pestering scenario is projected to last until December, what’s the best option or remedy did coops’ executives make to avert the angryfest?
Did they file an appeal with the ERC to declare market suspension on the part of WESM to spare Negros consumers from the “wicked” effects of that underwater mishap?
Suspension of market will put on hold trading of power generators.
Hence, NGCP will determine which plant(s) will dispatch power to the concerned electric coops.
As a result, price of power will no longer be the basis per the Offered Price (OP) by the generators.
WESM pricing, therefore, will be based on Administered Price (AP), which is cheaper than the OP by the generators.
So tricky to understand! But this is it! The technical and communication people of both coops must team up now and render layman’s explanation(s) on this matter.
Negros consumers are eagerly waiting to hear words from the coops’ executives. I remember then former US President Ronal Reagan in one of his speaking engagements. He told the Americans, “Don’t just stand or sit there, undo something!” I hope Atty. Dan Pondevilla, concurrent general manager of Noneco and Ceneco, and the board of directors ponder upon this line of President Reagan. He needs to act now before the angryfest turns into cryfest (crying festival).
ERC, by all means, needs to intervene, too, ASAP (as soon as possible). Paying an “extortionate” price for another four months, I think, is worse than to be COVID-19 positive. This is like “robbery in broad daylight” with consumers as the ultimate victims.
It’s a no-no, too, among Negrenses (rich and poor).
PRIVATIZATION
With this, talks on the looming privatization of these two coops will be resurrected anew.
Angry consumers will never mind “empathy” for the coops’ people (if they’re still doing nothing) once these exorbitant rates will continue to “harass” Negrenses.
Does privatization serve the public interest? In my own personal take, yes!
Why?
Privatization has two major “goodness” to reveal:
1. Panoply of significant improvements.
2. A boost on efficiency and quality of services.
Its only con is the shrinking of the size of the work force because only relevant positions shall be retained.
Franchises of both coops are up to expire in 2025. The House’s Committee on Legislative Franchises, therefore, will look for justifiable reasons why both need to be privatized. Per the energy experts, current assessment for both says so. They’re now “ripe” to be privatized.
Among the valid technical financial indicators are:
* steady system loss (Ceneco at P70M/year)
* frequent brownouts (scheduled, unscheduled, series of nightly “patay-siga” or short duration voltage variation)
* dilapidated line system
* poor pole maintenance
* poorly maintained sub-stations
* half-baked computerization program
* drained coffer
* angry or dissatisfied consumers due to the “incapacitated” PR (Public Relations) team
* no ISO (International Organization for standardization) certification
Hence, lots of private entities are now “salivating”. Some already formed their respective “lobby team” to do a legwork in Congress right after the 2022 elections.
So, if Noneco and Ceneco people are against privatization, then, they have to “shape up” and show to the people that they remain relevant and competent to stay.
If not, time to bid goodbye./PN
