Region 8 power coops reaffirms ownership stand

PALO, Leyte, April 24 (PNA) -- Electric cooperatives (ECs) in Eastern Visayas reiterated their call to retain the ownership of power distribution to member consumers as key officials headed to Davao del Norte on Monday for the first National Summit of Electric Consumers.

Samar II Electric Cooperative general manager Joey Talon said all ECs in the region would join the first summit in Tagum City on April 26 to lobby for policies “for the benefit of power consumers” in the region.

“Again, we are expressing our opposition to the plan to convert electric cooperatives into government-owned and controlled corporation,” said Talon, the vice president of federation of ECs in Eastern Visayas.

The group from some parts of Luzon and Eastern Visayas converged at the McArthur Park here on Monday morning before the two-day caravan going to Tagum City.

“Many challenges have been confronting ECs, but we believe that if we continue to operate as electric cooperatives, the real winners are consumers,” Talon said.

ECs are entities owned by the end-users within the vicinity covered by the power cooperative. They are controlled by board of directors elected by the end-users. There are 121 cooperatives in the country recognized by the Energy Regulatory Commision.

Eastern Visayas has 11 ECS – six in Leyte province; two in Samar; and one each in Biliran, Southern Leyte, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar. These ECs have combined connections of 794,386.

The event organized by the National Center of Electric Cooperative Consumers will gather around 5,000 delegates from different parts of the country.

The activity is aimed at finding solutions to address the urgent and strategic issues confronting the electricity consumers.

On April 27 and 28, there will be 2017 National Electrification Administration - ECs consultative conference and recognition of outstanding ECs will also be held at the Big 8 Corporate Hotel in Tagum City.

The two-day activity, which will bring together around 1,200 delegates from 121 ECs nationwide, will discuss initiatives toward the strengthening of partnerships among NEA, the ECs, and the consumers. (PNA)

Sarwell Q. Meniano