BACOLOD City – The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) here is urging the Board of Directors of the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) to convene a general assembly of its member-consumers across its franchise areas.
CENECO’s franchise areas cover the cities of Bacolod, Bago, Talisay, and Silay, as well as the municipalities of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto.
In a resolution approved on January 21 and authored by Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr., the city council said the move aims to ensure transparency and accountability following CENECO’s consolidation with Negros Electric and Power Corporation (Negros Power) in July 2024.
CENECO, an electric cooperative, was consolidated into Negros Power after Prime Electric entered into a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with the cooperative. As a result, Negros Power assumed ownership of CENECO’s power assets, according to the resolution.
Despite the consolidation, Gamboa stressed that households within CENECO’s former franchise area remain member-owners of the cooperative and are therefore entitled to be fully informed of its current financial standing, remaining assets, and continuing obligations.
He noted that since the start of the JVA in 2022, no general assembly of CENECO member-owners has been held to formally report on the cooperative’s finances, asset disposition, and outstanding liabilities.
The resolution emphasized that CENECO, as a cooperative, has a continuing obligation to its members. This includes reporting on remaining funds and obligations, accounting for assets retained or transferred under the JVA, clarifying the status of members’ equity and capital contributions, and explaining how consumer interests are being protected.
Gamboa underscored the need for transparency, particularly amid public concerns over electricity rates, service reliability, and long-term power infrastructure planning.
“As a member-owned cooperative, consumers are entitled to clarity on what happened to CENECO’s assets, liabilities, and finances following the joint venture with Negros Power,” Gamboa said.
The resolution further stated that holding a general assembly would help strengthen public trust and ensure that actions taken under the JVA are consistent with the principles of cooperative governance and consumer protection, especially after major structural changes in the power distribution utility.
In response, CENECO President Atty. Arnel Lapore said, “We are working on it and are closely coordinating with the National Electrification Administration (NEA) regarding our transformation from an electric cooperative to a non-electric cooperative entity.”/PN
