JUST last week, it’s fund mess. Now, it’s labor unrest. These are two importunate enigmas currently plaguing Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco).
“But no financial drought,” coop’s president Jojit Yap quickly retorted.
“It’s true! Only mismanaged,” posited Frank Carbon, president of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI).
Doubted Councilor Jun Gamboa: “Drawing-kuring!”
What’s the real score about Ceneco? Consumers deserve to know the “naked truth”.
Well, Ceneco Union of Rational Employees (CURE), on Monday, Jan. 24, held a press conference. With the aid of their counsel, Atty. Rey Gorgonio, CURE president Stephanie Montaner boldly told the media: “We’re protesting!”
She emphasized that Ceneco management still refuses to enforce their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) despite its approval in September last year.
Stephanie said the management is already obliged to give the signing bonus of P15,000 for each CURE member, and grant the five percent hike in their monthly salary.
They’ve waited, she said, but nothing happened to date.
The management’s defense: There’s a memorandum from the National Electrification Administration (NEA), ordering them to set aside first the enforcement of CBA unless Ceneco meets the 95 percent collection efficiency.
Presently, Ceneco, per report, is only at 80-88 percent collection efficiency. Current health pandemic was cited as reason.
I checked but can’t find a memo from NEA’s official website (www.nea.gov.ph) that mandates this 95 percent collection efficiency for all electric coops (ECs) in the country as a major pre-requisite in enforcing CBA.
Then I reverted to both Yap and Ceneco Officer-In-Charge (OIC) Engr. Jose Taniongon. I asked both of them the specific number of the latest NEA memorandum related to CBA enforcement.
But Taniongon responded: “Wala cya memo number. Because intended lang ni for Ceneco letter.”
Opps!
Question: Is NEA allowed to intervene with the CBA between Ceneco and CURE?
NEA has Memorandum No. 2014-003 dated Jan. 2, 2014 with the subject: “Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) / Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) of Electric Cooperatives (ECs)”.
Paragraph 2 of this memo states: “ECs’ management have been enjoined to evaluate their financial capability to implement and sustain proposals, specifically, economic packages for employees in their CBA /CNA negotiations. On the other hand, employees’ unions/associations are advised to have complete bases for their demand for non-economic activities and monetary benefits to ensure the coops’ viability is not impaired.”
Very easy to understand!
Laconically speaking, know your financial capability first before the approval of (any) CBA.
‘DANCING IN THE RAIN’
What happened in the case of Ceneco and CURE was so classic: “Nauna ang karwahi sa kabayo!”
The management approved the CBA during the coop’s 43rd Annual General Membership Assembly (AGMA) on Sept. 26, 2021. When its time to enforce, it “cried” for help from NEA.
NEA’s advice, per Yap and Taniongon: “Wait for the 95 percent collection efficiency!”
Is it right?
Why approve the CBA if Ceneco is financially unstable? Quite ridiculous, as in!
I pity the CURE members who are now risking their employment by “dancing in the rain”.
Google says to dance in the rain is a metaphor which means don’t wait for bad things in life to go away. Thus, today (Saturday), they will be voting for strike.
If the “Yes” vote wins, Atty. Gorgonio said, they’ll immediately file a “Notice of Strike” before the National Mediation and Conciliation Board (NMCB), then, wait for the 37 days “cooling-off” period.
But for the sake of “industrial peace”, Wennie Sancho of Power Watch Negros Advocates, Inc., appealed to both CURE members and the Ceneco management to go back to the negotiating table.
However, if it can’t be remedied, something worse is bound to happen with the more than 310,000 power consumers at the loose end.
Sought for comment, Yap candidly said via text: “The workers should help in these two concerns, not just mabantay lang kon ano pwede nila makuha sa Ceneco. Kon ma-strike sila, against who? Management? Board? or MCO (member-consumer –owner)?
Aha!
But what about the controversial P80,000 Christmas bonus for each director and department head of Ceneco belonging to the Responsible Supervisory and Confidential Union of Employees (ResCUE) last December? Is there (also) a NEA memorandum or letter governing this “fatty” bonus?
Taniongon’s quick response: “No, sir! But papers for this regard were already ‘on process’ when I assumed office as OIC last Dec. 16, 2021.”
Oh, wow, what a very smooth answer. Well, let’s just be reminded that employees are the company’s “soul”. Any upheaval within the company connotes mismanagement. Hope Yap and Taniongon know this.
‘ELEPHANT’ IN THE BOARD
Meanwhile, Gamboa, also convener of “Amlig Kuryente” here, believes Ceneco is still a gaining entity. What’s happening to this coop right now, he asserted, is just “drawing-kuring!”
Drawing-kuring is a street lingo synonymous to “kuris-kuris” both in Hiligaynon and Bisayan dialect which means scratch of crossbars sans clear details.
He said, “Everything now is leading to privatization.” “Somebody is creating a doomsday-like scenario, projecting Ceneco as if clinically dead and is in the intensive care unit (ICU).”
Carbon seemingly agreed with the councilor. He said the planned privatization of Ceneco three years from now is the current “elephant” in the coop’s Board. “It’s there already but as if no one knows, thus, no one dares to discuss such.”
As to the “Notice of Default” involving the controversial Kepco-Ceneco’s 20-MW, one-year extended Power Supply Agreement (PSA), Gamboa said, “Since it didn’t follow the Competitive Selection Process (CSP) as noted by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) before, hence, it’s ab initio or void at the very start.”
Though he stressed, “It doesn’t absolved the coop of any claim(s) for damages by Kepco for having acted ultra vires their functions and duties, and providing false pretense that the contract is legal despite the Supreme Court decision on Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas, Inc. (Alyansa) vs. Meralco, ERC, et al. in 2016.”
Still, however, Carbon said Ceneco is a “good buy” for those who are now “salivating” to take over sooner.
“Ceneco is still gaining, but is (only) mismanaged,” Carbon punctuated.
Projecting Ceneco in a grave financial distress is one major criterion to justify privatization, he conjectured.
WHERE’S FR. LARIDA?
Meanwhile, in the midst of confusion, everyone’s thunderous question: Where’s Fr. Ernie Larida?
The polemic priest was once a very vocal head of the Social Action Center (SAC) of the Diocese of Bacolod. So, when he joined Ceneco as one of the directors, he made history as the very first Catholic priest in the country to set foot at the controversy-ridden EC.
Fr. Larida was tagged as the “Voice of God” and “Voice of the Poor” in Ceneco. But where is he now?
Consumers are “itching” to hear his stance on the raging issues “besetting” the coop.
Glad to see or hear him soonest.
‘INTELLIGENTLY ORCHESTRATED’
Pithily, lots of insights about Ceneco’s current and future fate are gradually cast.
But I refuse to believe yet that everything happening within the coop now is “intelligently orchestrated” by those who have ulterior motive to grab the “one-time-big-time commission” just in case.
Whatever happens in the future, my fervent prayer is for the employees’ rights and welfare to be respected and protected still.
Above all, the consumers may not be victimized anew by “maling akala” that, in the end, will still burden the exorbitant rates due to many “pass-on” ingredients in the billing.
The Bible (in Philippians 2:4) clearly warns everyone: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”/PN
