BY ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
DEFINTELIY, there’s no short cut.
The most-talked JVA (joint venture agreement) between Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) and the Enrique Razon-led Primelectric/Negros Electric Power Corporation (NEPC) will endure the “knotty challenge” – referendum for a YES or NO.
Question: Whose faith, fate and feat will matter soonest?
JVA is a way to empower Ceneco consumers to decide what’s the best for the coop.
The result: “Excitement” causes daily discussion(s) left and right.m Verbal intramurals between the vocal pro and anti-JVA have had started.
But never ignore the “silent camp”.
The National Electrification Administration’s (NEA) then issued a final guideline re: referendum set end week of June. It said to legitimize JVA, the “Yes” votes must be 50% + 1 of the total “legitimate” consumers of Ceneco.
So, of the 221,209 Ceneco consumers (at present), 110,605 votes are needed for the JVA.
Uphill? Let’s see!
‘SENTIMENTAL’ AGMA
On May 28, Ceneco’s 45th Annual General Membership Assembly (AGMA) at Acacia Hotel in Bacolod City turned “sentimental”. The prayer of Ceneco’s Malot Parroco had “lots of emotions”. Then, she invoked wisdom and discernment toward the “greatest challenge” Ceneco is facing right now.
Then during an intermission number, singer Charles Kevin Tan made an “emotional punch” somehow related to JVA. He sang the meaningful song “Umagang Kay Ganda” with “strong conviction”, stressing the salient line: “Dumating din, haharapin natin.”
Towards the end of AGMA, the anti-JVA formed a cheering squad then yelled and chanted: “No to JVA!”
On the other hand, the Wennie Sancho-led “Yes to JVA” group remained calm and composed.
‘PULONG-PULONG’
The morning prior to Ceneco’s AGMA was a pulong-pulong re: JVA held at STI-West Negros University in Bacolod.
More than a thousand barangay officials in Bacolod came and listened to MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) president and chief executive officer (CEO) Roel Castro’s presentation.
The pulong-pulong centered on introducing Primelectric/NEPC as the sister company of MORE Power (in Iloilo City) both under Razon’s biz conglomerate, and its very purpose in entering Ceneco.
Castro, in a very cool manner, narrated all the “best” that might happen in Ceneco and for the consumers once the JVA is “put into life”.
Among them, he stressed:
* Maga-buhos sang capital expenditures (CAPEX) ang Primelectric/NEPC agud umpisahan ang modernization, rehabilitation kag upgrading sang distribution facilities.
* Look for new power supplier/s pinaagi sa matarung nga negosasyon kag Competitive Selection Process (CSP).
* Panubu-on ang system loss.
* Solusyonan ang unscheduled brownout.
Castro was “hailed and cheered”.
‘CRAVINGS SATISFIED’
Backing Castro up (in the pulong-pulong) was Negros Occidental’s Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer who said he wanted his legacy to be the JVA.
He said Ceneco consumers, including himself, were “hungry” for the best services.
With the JVA and Primelectric/NEPC, the vice governor is “beyond confident” that soon it’ll gonna be “cravings satisfied” for Ceneco consumers.
“Pocket my words. With JVA, the best is yet to come,” Ferrer stressed.
But Ceneco’s Member-Consumer-Owners (MCOs) federation president Ernie Pineda vowed to oppose the JVA to the maximum level.
He said their federation is composed of nine districts – five in Bacolod and one each in Murcia-Don Salvador Benedicto area, Silay City, Bago City and Talisay City – all franchise areas of Ceneco.
“We’ll do our assignment, too,” he said.
Fr. Cris Gonzales, head of the Social Action Center (SAC) of Bacolod Diocese, also admitted they’re “against JVA”.
Ceneco, said Gonzales, has multiple problems from management, personnel, system loss, etcetera.
“But it doesn’t mean we’ll surrender Ceneco’s ownership via JVA. We should find other solution(s),” he furthered.
RESPECT, NO HIDDEN AGENDA
But hearing all those negative feedbacks against JVA didn’t frustrate MORE Power’s Castro.
Instead, he’s more than “inclined and inspired” to weather public opinions just to stress his piece that there’s no hidden agenda beneath this JVA.
“All we wanted is just to deliver the best services the Ceneco consumers really aspire for. And if Negrosanons and Bacolodnons want us, we will not fail them. Promise!”
However, what caught my attention was Castro’s simple pronouncement: “We do respect the opposition.” Simple utterance employing simple line that also connotes respect.
Let’s be candid. When we say the name Enrique Razon, undeniably, there’s “power” in it. But still, Castro is going through the normal process aimed at informing the public re: JVA vis-à-vis.
‘WILL TO DECIDE’
Thus, no matter how controversial is the proposed JVA, Castro is still “beyond ready” to instill in the minds of Negrosanons and Bacolodnons that they do not subscribe to any “hocus pocus” as alleged by some. Rather, they’ll simply be doing business, deliver the best services they can for the “superb satisfaction” of everyone.
Empowering Ceneco consumers by submitting to their “will to decide” on the JVA is tantamount to an “act of piety”.
I remember then Jordan’s King Hussein 1’s (Hussein bin Talal) oft-quoted catchphrase re: opposition: “We respect opposition to any position or policy. But we believe that the opinion that should prevail and be respected is that of the majority.”
Well, to note, the JVA ain’t “an easy job for Castro”. The opposition is strong. But with his honesty in presenting such to the public sans pretentions, not far that “later illumination” will surely “soften the hearts” and “open the minds” for positive reception./PN
