BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – The “mother” of local power utility Central Negros Electric Cooperative needs to give its first say before the process can move forward on the proposal of power giant MERALCO and Iloilo City-based distribution utility MORE Power Corporation that have jointly submitted a proposal for a joint venture with CENECO.
Lawyer Arnel Lapore told DNX the board of CENECO had already passed a resolution endorsing the letter jointly submitted by the Lopez-owned Manila Electric Company and the Razon-owned MORE Power Corporation to officials of the National Electrification Administration in Manila for their comments before anything can be undertaken by cooperative officials.
“Like in a mother-child relationship, we await word from our parent,” Lapore told DNX.
Under Philippine laws, power cooperatives are under the supervision of NEA.
As this developed, former Councilor Wilson “Jun” Gamboa Jr said the proposed joint venture would lead to the eventual privatization of the distribution utility.
“It’s the same hullabaloo,” Gamboa said in a text message to DNX when sought for comment.
The former city dad, who had raised as early as two years ago the possible privatization of CENECO, said the intention is the same to that of watee utility Bacolod City Water District: “control and privatization.”
BACIWA is now engaged in a joint venture with the Villar-owned Primewater.
