Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Lacson backs the proposed joint venture between Negros Electric and Power Corporation (NEPC) and the Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (NONECO).
Lacson cited the proven track record of NEPC even for just more than one year.
“ I will support it because I have seen how NEPC here in Bacolod, we all see it. They have the capacity and investment capital to improve power distribution,” Lacson said.
Last August, the Razon-owned NEPC, a sister company of MORE POWER Iloilo, celebrated its first year of operations in Bacolod.
The utility’s president and chief executive, Roel Castro, described the first year as “very challenging.”
“So many odds when we took over the BACIWA operations, low voltage power capacity, heavy power system losses at staggering rate of 12.4 percent, widespread illegal connections and stealing, outdated substations and sub feeder lines, and many more,” he noted.
“We are well ahead in our first year relative to our five-year development plan,” he added.
Castro stressed that they have set their template for a five-year development, including rehabilitation and standardization in first three years, and modernization and expansion in the last two years, with P2.3 billion investment ready, and reserve of P2.5 billion if necessary.
NEPC network development and operations group head Mervin Dalian echoed Castro’s declarations.
“We are reversing the overall trend in Bacolod, especially the dropping of system’s losses down to seven percent, and overall power supply from 225 MVA when we started operations in August 2024 to 281 MVA in March 2025, and hope to meet 319 MVA by Oct.31, and higher in December 2025,” Dalian said.
He added that they continued to reduce the electricity rate.
“As of October 18, we have dropped our rate from P12.27/kWh (kilowatt hour) in previous weeks, to P11.91/kWh, the lowest probably in the Visayas.”
We have achieved more in almost all aspects of business and corporate social responsibility in our first year, just citing some highlights, Dalian said.
Asked about the ongoing negotiation for expansion to northern Negros, NEPC public relations consultant of Jonathan Cabrera said that this was part of NEPC commitment to “provide power with efficiency, love and care, not just Bacolod, not just NONECO, but eventually the southern Negros and the entire Negros island region.”
