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The Alliance of Concerned Consumers in Electricity and Social Services (Access) voiced firm support for the proposed partnership between the Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (Noneco) and the Negros Electric and Power Corporation (Negros Power).
In recent months, Access has been reaching out to communities within Noneco’s service areas, listening to residents’ growing demand for better service and fairer electricity rates. The group’s president, Wennie Sancho, said these consultations underscored the need for change. He viewed Negros Power’s proposal as a timely partnership for progress—one that could modernize Northern Negros’ power system, upgrade Noneco’s aging facilities, and deliver greater efficiency, stability, and reliability for consumers.
“Noneco’s facilities have aged through the years, and modernization is necessary,” stated Sancho. “This partnership can provide the needed capital, technology, and efficiency to meet the growing demands of consumers.”
Currently, Noneco serves more than 200,000 consumers across northern Negros Occidental, supplying power to the cities of Victorias, Cadiz, Sagay, Escalante, and San Carlos, along with the municipalities of E.B. Magalona, Manapla, Toboso, and Calatrava.
Earlier in October, acting Noneco general manager Engr. Wilbe Bilbao confirmed that the electric cooperative (EC) had received a letter of intent from Negros Power the previous month. He added that the proposal has yet to be reviewed by Noneco’s board of directors or formally submitted to the National Electrification Administration (NEA).
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Why Noneco needs help
The EC has faced recurring challenges over the years, highlighting its need for stronger support and modernization.
- Repeated outages
In October 2024, large parts of northern Negros Occidental were plunged into darkness after a transformer at Noneco’s Bacayan substation in Victorias City malfunctioned, disrupting electricity in several towns and cities. The outage affected up to 300,000 households, crippling businesses, halting classes, and disrupting communication and internet services.
E.B. Magalona Mayor Marvin Malacon criticized Noneco for its slow response and lack of clear updates on full restoration, with some barangays expected to wait another week for power.
The transformer that failed had itself been a borrowed unit from the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco), used by Noneco for nearly a year due to its lack of replacement funds.
The 15-mega volt ampere (MVA) transformer was first brought to Victorias in September 2023, after the area suffered repeated blackouts when its substation malfunctioned during a storm. That earlier outage forced local governments to open charging stations, distribute generators, and left many residents seeking shelter or connectivity in nearby cities.
The 2024 blackout further exposed Noneco’s limited assets and dependence on outside support. To restore service, the EC tapped Negros Power’s distribution line in Silay City for a temporary 2-megawatt (MW) supply to parts of E.B. Magalona, borrowed a 10-MVA transformer from the Negros Occidental Electrical Cooperative (Noceco) in Pulupandan, and sought an additional 2.5-MW boost from Victorias Milling Company.
- Funding gaps
In early 2023, NEA extended loan assistance to ECs nationwide, with Noneco among the 13 recipients of capital expenditure loans. The funding, amounting to ₱225.81 million, was intended to support infrastructure upgrades, system reliability, and equipment replacement across beneficiary ECs.
However, despite receiving financial support, Noneco continued to operate with borrowed transformers and reported insufficient funds to acquire new equipment.
In 2025 alone, Philippine taxpayers provided ₱3.6 billion in subsidies to ECs. Audit reports revealed that nearly ₱1 billion of these funds remained unliquidated, highlighting ongoing concerns over financial accountability in the sector.
Noneco’s case highlights the need for stricter oversight and transparency in how public loan assistance is allocated and spent by ECs.
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Partnerships that drive progress
Sancho predicted that Noneco could follow the same path as Ceneco, which had amassed over ₱600 million in unmanageable debt. The turning point came when Ceneco entered a joint venture with Primeletric Holdings, Inc. (PHI), now Negros Power.
The private company invested heavily in infrastructure, spending around ₱1.2 billion on upgrades within the first year of the partnership, and quickly expanded the EC’s customer base from 177,737 in August 2024 to over 242,000 today. Despite the substantial investment, Negros Power maintained its distribution rates without any increase.
Sancho described Negros Power’s proposal to Noneco as a long-overdue partnership for progress—one that could modernize the region’s power infrastructure and resolve years of inefficiency. He said the collaboration would bring in much-needed capital, technology, and expertise to strengthen the stability, reliability, and efficiency of electricity distribution in northern Negros.
He pointed to the success of the Ceneco and PHI joint venture as proof of what such partnerships can achieve. “Ceneco’s experience showed that cooperation, not resistance, drives progress. Northern Negros can benefit from the same formula — investment, innovation, and accountability,” he asserted.
The move, he said, led to lower electricity rates, improved facilities, faster service, and greater consumer satisfaction in Central Negros. Sancho noted Bacolod’s marked improvement in just a year, with fewer outages and better service delivery. “That’s the kind of progress Northern Negros consumers deserve too,” he added, emphasizing that the focus is not on privatization or conversion. Rather, it is about bringing in the necessary expertise and investment to ensure electricity service becomes more reliable and affordable, delivering tangible benefits that truly matter to consumers.
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson also supported the Negros Power-Noneco joint venture, highlighting Negros Power’s capacity to invest in projects that improve power delivery.
Lacson recalled a recent major outage and praised the private company for its swift response. “If we were still under the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) it could have taken months before they restored power, but because of Negros Power being a very solid company, it only took two weeks to bring the power back,” he stated.
Sources:
https://dailyguardian.com.ph/saving-the-losing-electric-cooperatives/
https://visayandailystar.com/bishop-calls-for-careful-study-on-proposed-negros-power-noneco-jva/
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/malacon-slams-noneco-inefficiency-to-address-power-outages
https://www.philstar.com/nation/2024/10/18/2393365/power-outages-hit-3-negros-areas
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1235680