By ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
“WE TAKE it positively. It’s an avenue for us to clear everything.”
This was how Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) acting general manager Ervin Stan Leo Ticar described the recent congressional inquiry on the coop’s spiraling power rates and brownouts.
For GM Ticar: “Nothing to worry!” He considered such House probe as a “boon” for Ceneco. He believes it’s geared towards transparency.
GM Ticar, alongside other Ceneco executives, in a press conference on Dec. 7 stressed that the congressional inquiry on Dec. 5 gave them a chance to enumerate the roots of the spiraling power rates “and tell Congress what we are doing, considering that power rate increases ain’t unique to Ceneco.”
Ceneco is getting “infamous” with regards to power rate hike and brownouts. This has led to the congressional inquiry. Bacolod City’s Lone District Congressman Greg Gasataya wanted to get to the “bottom of everything”. Fine!
‘PLAIN AS A PIKESTAFF’
Power rate hike is, however, nationwide. The very reason is “plain as a pikestaff” – the generation cost.
Considered as “push factors” are the world’s fuel crisis and imported coal pricing. These “unwanted phenomena” are caused by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and “coal crunch” in the world market.
Let it be known that the Philippines is among the coal-dependent nations in Asia.
Reality bites: majority of Ceneco’s power supply is sourced from coal-fired power plants in Cebu and Iloilo.
The three concerned agencies on power things – Department of Energy (DOE), Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and National Electrification Administration (NEA) – have become “pointless” with the current snags. Their hands are “tied”. They are “powerless”.
‘SHOW AND TELL’
Meanwhile, another round of inquiry next year is all about power supply agreements (PSAs) entered by Ceneco with its various suppliers, including with the government-sanctioned Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).
Former and incumbent coop executives (from 2017 to date) will be summoned in Congress to shed light on the matter.
“Great!” GM Ticar declared.
This is the moment for Ceneco’s management to “show and tell” the public the real score about the coop’s power supply transactions.
“We hide nothing so we fear nothing,” said GM Ticar.
‘TRIFLING DELAY’
On the brownout probe (also next year), GM Ticar already sounded optimistic.
He wants the public to know the “main factors” behind the pestering brownouts. And he’s hoping that the Sy-led National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) will “bare all” as to its share in these recurring-slash-annoying brownouts.
Moreover, GM Ticar said, “It’s high time now to also check the status of Ceneco’s proposed P1-billion capital expenditures (CAPEX) for 2014-2019.”
It’s “just sleeping” at the ERC for close to eight years now. The Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) already extended an open credit access for this Ceneco’s CAPEX.
The proposed huge amount was earmarked for the rehabilitation of the coop’s lines, substations, among others for an enhanced (distribution) reliability. But since there’s a “trifling delay” on the approval, questions)on Ceneco’s capability and reliability can somehow be “put on hold”, too.
Nevertheless, the Ceneco management is sanguine that the series of House probes may guide Congress to compel ERC to approve the proposed CAPEX.
‘BEST CURE’
Being an adherent of comunicacion abierta (open communication) makes GM Ticar and Ceneco now more acquiescent worthy of public’s approbation. His “fearlessness” in stressing “bits and pieces” behind every issue is “hailable”.
GM Ticar wants transparency to reign in the coop. Not an easy mission, of course. But armed with persistency, optimism and confidence to restore Ceneco’s “blotted” image and integrity, this “NEA Boy” is “beyond ready” to weather future “storms” that may stun the coop./PN
