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Taking over power cooperative: Sen. Win Gatchalian, during Wednesday’s interpellation on House Bill No. 9805 May 8, 2024, asks what benefits Negrenses would get if Negros Electric Power Corp. would take over the operation of the previous cooperative – the Central Negros Electric Cooperative, Inc. (CENECO) – which is incurring losses from its operation in the cities of Bacolod, Silay, Talisay and Bago and the municipalities of Murcia and Don Salvador, all in Negros Occidental. Based on data, Gatchalian noted that CENECO is classified as Yellow and categorized as AA electric cooperative, which is one to two notches below AAA and Green topnotch cooperatives. “I would like to ask the good sponsor if they (CENECO) are not an ailing cooperative, what value will this new operator bring to the people of Negros?” Gatchalian asked. Sen. Grace Poe, chairperson of the Committee on Franchises replied that while CENECO is not an ailing cooperative, it could not expand its operation because of limited capital expenditure. She said CENECO has absorbed losses of P156.3 million in 2022 and, as of September 2023, they also absorbed P93 million.(Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)