4 power coops in Bicol face losing franchises
Credit to Author: besguerra| Date: Fri, 01 Feb 2019 02:42:42 +0000
LEGAZPI CITY —— At least four electric cooperatives in Bicol were listed by the Department of Energy (DOE) as having poor performance and whose franchises were asked to be canceled.
Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi recommended on January 11 to House Speaker Macapagal-Arroyo to cancel the franchises granted to 17 electric cooperatives across the country considered as “ailing.”
The four of the 17 cooperatives based in Bicol are Camarines Sur 3rd District Electric Cooperative, Inc., Albay Electric Cooperative, Inc., Masbate Electric Cooperative, Inc., First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative, Inc., and Ticao Island Electric Cooperative, Inc.
In his letter to Arroyo, Cusi said the cancellation of the franchises was based on the submission of the National Electrification Administration declaring these cooperatives of underperforming.
Cusi said the DOE was drafting a policy recommendation for the consideration of Congress, to adopt a process of competitive selection for the grant of the franchise to potential applications.
The other cooperatives recommended for cancellation were Abra Electric, Pampanga lll, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan Electric, Zamboanga City Electric, Davao Del Norte Electric, Basilan Electric, Sulu Electric, Tawi-tawi Electric, Maguindanao Electric, and Lanao del Sur Electric./lzb