Entrepreneurial Farmer

Ambrosio R. Villorente

AKELCO Is Deceiving

“Power Rate Sa Buean It Enero, Nagnaba It Sobra Sa Piso” reads the headline of the AKELCO press release dated January 9, 2008 jointly signed by Ms. Maria Luvigrena G. Juliano and Mr. Wilfredo A. Ortiz – OIC General Manager. This press release is a great deception to its members–consumers. The writer of this press release in Aklanon intermixed with English could have simply written to say “Iga Uli It Akelco Ro Sobra Sa Guin Bayad Ko Mga Consumers-Members”
Reading the head of the Akelco press release will impress one that Akelco has indeed reduced its power rate.
However, reading the text of the press release, one will understand that the cost of power was not actually reduced. The reduction refers to the cost of power in January 2008 compared to December 2007 power cost because Akelco is compelled to refund to the consumers the amount Akelco collected for the June–August 2007 period in violation of the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) the Regional Trial Court issued restraining the implementation of Energy Power Purchase Agreement. Moreover, Akelco also will refund what it has collected when the Global Business Power Corporation did not operate in July–September. For your further understanding, the said Akelco press release is published on page 4 in this issue.
What a deception! Akelco claimed electric cost reduction when it is actually refunding the consumers – members what it collected. It collected money when Akelco was restrained to collect. Branch 2, Regional Trial Court, Kalibo issued TRO that restrained Akelco from implementing the amended EPPA. However, it did not stop collecting.
Moreover, the GBPC power plant did not operate in July–September, 2007. Still Akelco collected for electricity it did not supply. It collected charges consumers–members did not receive.

INSULT

What is insulting is the press release credited the members of the Board of Directors for their effort to compel GBPC to issue credit memo to AKELCO. They are being praised for doing it. This should be reversed. Instead BOD Akelco must apologize to the consumers–members for collecting charges Akelco is restrained from collecting. This shows the lack of sympathy of the members of the AKELCO BOD toward the consumers–members.
To show that power rate is not really reduced the press released stated “gina implementar it AKELCO ro one-time refund.”
Akelco deceived the consumer members when it stated: “ro power rate sa buean it Enero kun ikumpara sa power rate it Disyembre, 2007 hay nagnaba it sobra sa piso sa tanan nga clasi it kunsumidor”.
Mr. Wilfredo A. Ortiz and Ms. Maria Luvigrena G. Juliano, we request you to tell us the truth after this deception.

ULTIMATUM

Mr. Albert Meñez of the Kalibo Ati-Atihan Tourism Council issued ultimatum to concerned persons to tear down their unnecessary commercial ads at Pastrana Park, Kalibo at 8:00 o’clock in the morning, Wednesday, January 16, 2008. “If those ads are still hanging at 9:00 A.M., I will tear it down,” Meñez warned.
The action of Mr. Meñez just showed the implementation of Sr. Sto. Niño Ati-Atihan festival in Kalibo lacks good planning and coordination. Ever since in my life in Aklan, this is my first experience where a festival management is badly criticized publicly even before the final day of the activities.
Atty. Daniel Martelino differed even in the naming of the festival. He differed in the number of years in the celebration of the Sr. Sto. Niño festival. It is good if the variances of opinions are discussed in the board rooms, but it is publicly discussed in the airlanes where and when all people may hear the discussions as far as the range of the signal of a radio station can reach.
Can the festival management, the church, and all those concerned gather themselves to discuss the plan of the festival and allow the implementors implement the program according to the program plan? For the next year celebration, start talking about the plan, agree on it. Start announcing the plan in November to have ample time to adjust the program.

Financial Report

One reason why Mayor Raymar A. Rebaldo of Kalibo is badly criticized is the absence of credible financial report. Mayor Rebaldo can reverse the negative comments by giving his credible financial report as early as February. With this volume of commercials, festival management officials cannot avoid malicious imputations. /MP