Dumaguete city: The Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NOCCI), along with other business and sectoral groups, is advocating for a congressional inquiry into the Negros Oriental II Electric Cooperative (NORECO II) due to pressing concerns over power reliability and service quality.

According to Philippines News Agency, NOCCI president Edward Du announced at a recent press conference that they have submitted a position paper to Congress opposing the early renewal of NORECO II's legislative franchise, which is scheduled to expire in February 2033. Du highlighted three primary issues: system loss, frequent brownouts, and particularly low voltage, which poses significant challenges for the business community.

Du explained that while addressing brownouts requires substantial investment in additional power plants, solving system loss is complex due to both technical and non-technical factors. The persistent issue of low voltage has already impacted various businesses, especially micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Du urged NORECO II to acknowledge the problem, enabling stakeholders to collaborate on potential solutions.

A stakeholders' dialogue took place on August 15 to discuss the concerns about NORECO II. However, Du noted that cooperative representatives denied experiencing low voltage issues. In response, a joint position paper dated August 27 was submitted to Congress, directed to Negros Oriental 4th District Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer, chair of the House Committee on Legislative Franchises. Copies were also sent to Negros Oriental 2nd District Rep. Maria Isabel Sagarbarria, 3rd District Rep. Janice Degamo, APEC Party-list Rep. Sergio Dagooc, and PHILRECA Party-list Rep. Presley De Jesus.

The position paper not only raised the issue of low voltage but also highlighted concerns about aging power infrastructure, unresolved consumer claims for damages, and problems related to service reliability, capitalization, and accountability. Du clarified that the groups are not seeking to prevent the renewal of NORECO II's franchise outright but wish to delay its renewal until these concerns are adequately addressed. He emphasized that with seven years remaining until 2033, there is ample time for NORECO II to resolve the issues.

The position paper received support from representatives of the Negros Oriental Resorts, Hotels and Restaurants Association; Negros Oriental Dive Association; Zamboanguita Dive Leisure Resorts; and Baslay Highland Agriculture Cooperative. Du pointed out that the low-voltage problem is particularly detrimental to the tourism industry in Dauin and nearby areas, where numerous resorts and dive shops are located.