BY ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
THE PROPOSED joint venture agreement (JVA) between Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) and Ignite Power of billionaire Enrique Razon continues to “stir” Bacolod City and Negros Occidental. Positive and negative insights “engulf” power consumers’ minds.
Thus, the question: Is this the best or not?
Then came the so-called candid honesty from both sides – the pro and the anti. And followed by the confessions for growth that make things easy to comprehend by ordinary consumers.
Let’s take the case of former Bacolod City councilor Jun Gamboa and Amlig Kuryente. Both are anti-JVA. And they want Ceneco registered with the CDA (Cooperative Development Authority) ASAP (as soon as possible) than to “swallow” the JVA.
Amlig Kuryente’s bantering line now: “NO to JVA, YES to CDA, REGISTER immediately!”
But the very questions are:
* Why aren’t Ceneco execs keen about CDA registration?
* What’s the mystery behind the deafening silence of Ceneco officials?
WON’T INTERPOSE ANY OBJECTION
On the other hand, Power Watch Negros Advocate, Inc. (PWNAI) vowed not to interpose any objection with this proposed JVA.
PWNAI’s top executive Wennie Sancho stressed they’re not against JVA for as long as it’s meant to “level up” Ceneco.
Sancho billed those who are against JVA as anti-progress and development.
Jun reacted by saying there are so “many ways to kill a cat” if Sancho or PWNAI wants Ceneco to level-up.
“Why not Ceneco borrow money from the bank instead of succumbing to JVA?” asked Jun, then improve all its facilities to state-of-the-art operations.
“As to the system loss issue that reportedly costs Ceneco to bleed almost P20M per month,” Jun said, “it boils down to management efficiency.”
In sum, Jun tagged the JVA as the next “root of all evil”.
‘MESSIAH’
But there’s this church attestation, proving that Razon’s MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power), Ignite’s sister company, is likened to a “messiah” in Iloilo City.
Razon’s much-talked landing in Bacolod and NegOcc., therefore, is perceived to do the same what it did in Iloilo City.
MORE Power’s good standing in the “City of Love” highlighted by its four-year all-time high creditable performance is more than enough to somehow merit its entry to the “City of Smiles” and the “Sugar Bowl” of the Philippines.
Msgr. Meliton Oso, head of Jaro Archdiocesan Social Action Center in Iloilo, volunteered to say “some good things” for MORE.
Pretty sure, he stressed, they savor now lots of conveniences with MORE, which Ilonggos never tasted before with their former distribution utility.
Based on his own personal observation-cum-substantiation, it can simply be concluded that, with MORE, Ilonggos couldn’t ask for more.
VERY HAPPY WITH MORE
Adding a tasteful argument to the issue is Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry P. Treñas (JPT).
JPT’s candid remark: “Grab the opportunity with MORE. We’re very happy with MORE. Really, it’ll help with the development of Bacolod and NegOcc.”
Personally, JPT also confessed: “Very happy ako sa MORE, thus, I am very happy, too, to recommend it for Bacolod and NegOcc.”
With MORE, he said, Iloilo City has a stable power distribution complemented with lower rates.
Thus, among others, Iloilo City’s partnership with MORE is truly beyond power, stressed the mayor.
JPT enumerated the following “heavens”:
* MORE delivers good services (almost beyond compare) for Iloilo City.
* Too, it has an excellent Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
As to the “lurid cry” that the JVA is “bad”, JPT said, “Simply bear in mind that power’s essential.”
If Bacolod and NegOcc want reliable power distribution, why not try MORE or Ignite? JPT asked.
After all, he said, everything boils down to growth and development of the city and province.
“If you want faster growth and development, then, be keen about your power provider,” he added.
Power is, indeed, very important.
POWER STABILITY IS CRUCIAL
Well, the recent “power brouhaha” in Negros and Panay Islands is one potent lesson for us to be astute now about power issue(s).
Power outages are “devastating”. They hurt our local economy.
Though such recent power mess was attributed to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), the country’s sole power transmission agency, there’s an underlying lesson within that we need to be wary.
Professor Dindo Manhit, one of the power luminaries in the country, once said, “Initiatives towards the modernization, efficiency and reliability of our power industry would foster sustainable and inclusive growth of the whole nation.”
Thus, power stability is crucial nowadays. And the game, whether we like it or not, is modernization.
If Ceneco can’t jibe with the tune of modernization leading to reliable power distribution, why not give MORE or Ignite the chance via JVA. After all, consumers’ satisfaction matters most.
Let it be known, too, that stable power distribution means improved business climate. With such, we could expect the optimal growth of Bacolod and NegOcc. More jobs in offing as well.
And more investments to follow, right?
Aren’t we happy with these?/PN
