By ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
THE HEAT is on!
The much-talked joint venture agreement (JVA) between Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) and Primelectric / Negros Electric and Power Corporation (NEPC) is “hissing or roaring” like a jet engine.
Alas, it “severs” personal relationships. Long-time friendships are expurgated.
What’s happening?
Comrades against comrades. Professionals versus professionals. Street parliamentarians condemn fellows. Surreal!
Hearing both sides (pro and anti) is quite bewildering. Each has reason(s) really hard to dispute.
DIVERGENT THINKING
Good to note that the Wennie Sancho-led pro-JVA asked everyone, including the anti-group, to subscribe to divergent thinking.
Divergent thinking, per www.airfocus.com, is the process of creating multiple, unique ideas or solutions to a problem.
JVA is the current issue in Bacolod and Negros Occidental. How to solve this matter? Plebiscite is the answer! Such is already scheduled on June 24 and 25 and July 1 and 2.
Too, there’s a move to extend for another two days. But NEA (National Electrification Administration) has to approve it.
Sancho’s group appealed to the public for peace and sobriety. Their bantering line: “Let the consumers decide!”
ENLIGHTENMENT
Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (MBCCI) chief executive officer (CEO) Frank Carbon requests for further enlightenment.
He wants the proponent (Primelectric/NEPC) to shed light on what’s really wrong with Ceneco and why are they coming over.
Former governor Lito Coscolluela, who is anti-JVA, vowed to campaign for a “NO” to JVA.
Coscolluela, in his Facebook post, billed JVA as anchored on “false promises”.
In response to Coscolluela, the pro-group claimed the JVA is the “light at the end of the tunnel”.
‘MALNOURISHED’
Too, Coscolluela said what Ceneco officials entered into ain’t a JVA but a sellout.
But the Sancho’s group disputed such claim, saying, “JVA is a sort of refueling Ceneco.”
Dionesio de la Cruz, another pro-JVA “warrior”, stressed Ceneco is “malnourished” right now “so it needs additional nutrients, and the JVA is one vital nutrient.”
De la Cruz cited the current P800-million debt of Ceneco plus the unrescuable system loss as basis in figuratively calling the coop “malnourished”.
Ceneco’s system loss, at present, is at 11.01% from 10.30 % in the previous months.
Ceneco being categorized as a “Triple A” electric coop, the allowable Distribution System Loss (DSL) cap is only 8.25%. The difference, therefore, costs the coop around P20 million per month (in financial deficit).
‘KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR’
For Bayan-Negros’ Noli Rosales, the JVA is like a “thief in the night”.
Inking such, he stressed, constituted a blatant neglect of the interests of consumers.
But for De la Cruz, the JVA is a “Knight in Shining Armor”.
“JVA shall save us… will correct all the flaws committed by Ceneco to all its consumers for the longest time.”
And batted in by Sancho, “With the JVA, we’re just looking for a bright light in the midst of darkness.”
MIDDLE GROUND
Well, amid the verbal intramurals here comes Pastor Jupiter Arela of the Cosmopolitan Evangelical Church at the Capitol Shopping Center in Bacolod.
He was invited by the pro-JVA to bless their press conference at the Negros Press Club (NPC) building on June 14.
In his brief sermon, the cleric simply dwelled on love and asked for the intervention of the Divine Providence on the issue.
But what he told to the pro-JVA advocates: “If you think you’re doing this towards the welfare of the power consumers, then, do it with love.”
A meaningful but “intriguing” advice.
So, I went to their church and, point blank, asked Pastor Arela of his specific stand on the matter. He simply retorted: “I am in the middle ground!”
“What I did was just a short meditation, reflection and sharing of God’s wisdom,” he explained.
He preached Corinthian 16:14, which says: “Do everything in love.”
“Ang akon lang man laygay sa grupo, himu-on nila kon ano ang insakto. Kon sa pagpati nila maka-paayo sa konsumedores ang ila ginahimo nga pagduso sang JVA, so, do it with love,” the Pastor enunciated.
SERVICE WINS THE GAMES
Anyway, if we listen to the daily verbal tussle(s) on the JVA, it seems it’s like an endless journey. The debate centers on four major things:
* reliability via efficient/effective power distribution services
* reasonable rates
* lowered system loss
* lesser brownouts
Question: Is Primelectic/NEPC of billionaire Enrique Razon capable of realizing all these?
The answer is, YES!
But also ponder on what the late US President Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. had expounded: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
Because, at the end of the day, “service wins the game,” stressed world-renowned educator and book author Tony Alessandra.
And the Razon Group of Companies, per experience, is truly beyond ready to always show “its best with greatness in the name of quality service”.
Hence, fear not, trust the “savior”!/PN
