Balo laughs off Ceneco explanation on refusal of power connection for NGC
BACOLOD CITY -- It is 'hilarious' or in other words 'funny'. This was the reaction of City Administrator Rogelio Balo after he received the answer of Central Negros Electric Cooperative on January 23, 2009 in lieu of his letter asking for the cooperative's explanation on the issue why they refused to receive city's application for New Government Center power connection.
Balo was very surprised that despite of their compliance on the requisites as enumerated in Ceneco's Power Connection Guidelines, there was already an instant decision that the application is incomplete, stating that the deed of donation is “defective” as it has no technical description.
In his letter dated January 26, 2009 addressed to OIC-General Manager Engr. Erlo Sajo which was received by Ceneco yesterday morning, Balo appreciates the prompt response of OIC-General Manager Engr. Sajo but his office absolutely disagrees with the explanation which according to him, devoid of truth and far from certainty.
Balo said the assertion that Ceneco is processing the application of the city government for electric power connection to the New Government Center is either flimsy or ambiguous.
"How could you claim to have processed our application for power connection to the NGC when you have not even accepted our accomplished Application for Service Connection, together with all the documents that you require, including the Deed of Donation?" he questioned.
Additional requirements like the application for a separate three-phase line or settle it with Hilmarc's Construction Corporation, the contractor of the NGC as suggested by Ceneco is argued by Balo saying that it is baseless and irrelevant.
"I would like to draw your attention to the primary parties of the Memorandum of Agreement, that is; Central Negros Electric Cooperative Inc. represented by OIC-GM Engr. Henry Sia and the New Bacolod City Government Center represented by its project engineer Perry Miranda. Perusal of the MOA revealed that nowhere in its entirety mentioned the name Hilmarc's as party to the agreement," he added.
As to the Deed of Donation, a lot plan, prepared and certified by a reputable Geodetic Office in Bacolod City, showing all the reference points including the boundaries of the donated lots is included in the documents that the city submitted but was not accepted by Ceneco on January 20, 2009.
Balo said the Bacolod City Government Center was constructed not only to give the people pride and honor of the fast rising highly urbanized communities in the country, but most importantly, to significantly improve public to its constituents.
"There are already numerous offices of the city government who have transferred to the NGC and the absence of permanent power supply definitely hampers our public service to the community members which they so deserved," he added.
Being a support agency in the same field of public service, Ceneco has an important role to portray in the continuous growth and development of the community in the incessant pursuit for efficient public service.
"The city is also willing to sit down with Ceneco for a panel of discussion to resolve the electrification of the New Government Center the soonest," Balo said.