THE Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) and Bacolod City Water District (BACIWA) have long been controversial public utilities in Bacolod City.
CENECO deals with electricity; BACIWA, with water.
Both also entered into 25-year joint venture agreements (JVAs) with private firms.
CENECO partnered with Negros Electric and Power Corporation (NEPC), which is associated with billionaire businessman Enrique K. Razon. Their partnership began in August 2024.
BACIWA, on the other hand, entered into a JVA with PrimeWater Infrastructure, Inc. (PrimeWater), associated with the family of former senator Manny Villar. Their partnership commenced in November 2020.
After two years of ceasing its power distribution function, with NEPC now handling it, CENECO appears to be becoming more transparent in its dealings. It is as if CENECO is finally showing its cards to the public.
On the other hand, BACIWA, after nearly six years of partnering with PrimeWater, still appears to be walking on eggshells.
Quite a contrast, isn’t it?
P2-B RICHER
Once, CENECO was said to be a “dying” electric cooperative. Now, believe it or not, it is worth more than P2 billion.
Really? Yes!
On August 28, during a convention held at Acacia Hotel in Bacolod City, CENECO revealed the figures. The controversial cooperative’s current and non-current assets in 2025 totaled P2,567,801,123. See!?
Though this represented a drop of P577,956,016 from its P3,145,757,139 in assets in 2024, the fact remains: CENECO has been a billionaire cooperative for the past two years.
Hence, CENECO management is now proposing amendments to its existing constitution and bylaws to make these suitable for a corporate entity, allowing member-stakeholders to receive cash dividends.
Once approved, said CENECO General Manager Arnel Lapore, the proposed dividends for member-stakeholders could take effect two years from now.
Just imagine: This would be the first time in CENECO’s history that members of the cooperative could receive cash dividends. What a display of transparency, indeed! Laudable!
‘HIRAYA’
Let’s move to BACIWA now.
The newest controversy: There’s no more PrimeWater?
The name PrimeWater, according to Bacolod Councilor Wilson “Jun” Gamboa Jr., has been changed to Hiraya.
Question: Why wasn’t the public informed about this name change?
I sent a message to BACIWA Board President Sonya Verdeflor and asked her about PrimeWater and Hiraya. She confirmed to yours truly that the talk about Hiraya was, indeed, true.
She said Hiraya is associated with retail magnate Lucio Co, who acquired the Villars’ shares and took over PrimeWater’s operations involving JVAs with more than 100 water districts across the country, including BACIWA.
Oh, my gosh! So what happened to Co’s Crystal Bridges?
From PrimeWater to Crystal Bridges to Hiraya.
But why wasn’t this development formally announced?
FOSTERING ACCOUNTABILITY
Well, Lapore and Verdeflor are both lawyers. I know their credibility is beyond question.
But Lapore, perhaps, has learned many lessons from leading CENECO.
Putting everything about CENECO under the sun for the public to see is a way of fostering accountability. Acknowledging that member-consumers remain the owners of CENECO is laudable. And proposing annual cash dividends for every member-consumer is noteworthy – historic, even.
If this happens two years from now, Lapore and the rest of the CENECO officials will surely earn the appreciation of their member-consumers.
MUM’S THE WORD
By contrast, however, BACIWA executives remain mum about PrimeWater’s reported new owner.
They have yet to fully report to the public on the water district’s current status after nearly six years of partnership with PrimeWater.
I agree with Gamboa’s stance: Call BACIWA officials before the city’s Sangguniang Panlungsod and bare it all.
BACIWA is a public utility; therefore, its leaders must practice open communication. Otherwise, Bacolod’s water consumers will always remain in limbo.
Can’t BACIWA do what CENECO is doing now?
CURRENCY OF DEMOCRACY
BACIWA officials must also remember that the water district continues to face a labor dispute that has dragged on for nearly six years. Fifty-nine illegally dismissed employees have already won their case, according to a decision by the Civil Service Commission (CSC). But until now, they have yet to receive their back wages and other benefits. BACIWA management remains silent on the matter.
Officials of public utilities like BACIWA should ponder what American lawyer and political activist Ralph Nader once said: “Information is the currency of democracy.”/PN
