BACOLOD City – The House of Representatives’ committee on legislative franchises approved unanimously the franchise proposal of Negros Electric and Power Corporation (NEPC) on Dec. 13.
Abang Lingkod party-list’s Rep. Stephen Paduano, one of the proponents of House Bill (HB) 9310 which transfers the franchise of beleaguered Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) to NEPC, confirmed the committee approval.
Other lawmakers that sponsored the bill were Negros Occidental representatives Juliet Marie Ferrer(4th District), Francisco Benitez (3rd District) and Greg Gasataya (Bacolod City Lone District).
Paduano said no debate that happened despite a minor amendment in the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) prior to the approval.
By January when the House resumes its sessions, HB 9310 will be included in the rules meeting to be held on Jan. 23, 2024 and by Jan. 24, 2024 it will be in the plenary for second reading, explained Paduano.
“Because of the three-day rule in Congress, except when a bill is certified as urgent by the President, the third and final reading will be held the following week once it is approved on Jan. 23,” he added.
HB 9310 has a counterpart bill in the Senate. Paduano hopes that by April it will be finally approved and submitted to the President to be signed into law.
The approval is a critical juncture in reshaping the energy landscape in central Negros, with NEPC poised to play a transformative role in the area’s electric distribution service.
The franchise areas of CENECO covered the cities of Bacolod, Bago, Silay, and Talisay, along with the municipalities of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto.
On June 2023 CENECO and NEPC signed a joint venture agreement (JVA ) to improve power distribution service in the cooperative’s franchise areas.
Later, the National Electrification Administration(NEA) conditionally granted its consent to the JVA ,but subject to the fulfillment conditions.
NEA advised CENECO that the JVA was in essence a sale of assets of the cooperative and thus it should comply with Section 36(b) of Presidential Decree No. 269 (PD 260), known as the National Electrification Administration Decree./PN
