Abreco strikes deal with supplier, assures power on election day

BANGUED, Abra – Fears of a no-power election day on May was doused with Abra Electric Cooperative (Abreco) forging a new power supply agreement with Aboitiz Power Renewables, Inc. (Apri).

This came after Apri issued a notice of disconnection dated Jan. 29 advising Abreco of the disconnection from the grid because of the termination of its Power Supply Agreement on Jan. 20.

The notice of disconnection is supposed to take effect on Feb. 7, but Abreco claimed it did not receive it.

But Abreco officials, led by general manager Loreto Seares, Jr., managed to get an appointment with Apri account executive Rehnie Sicat last Jan. 29 and started to negotiate with a new Power Supply Agreement.

Abreco Board President David Guzman tried his best to convince Sicat to give the power cooperative better and more flexible terms and conditions, particularly in the mode of payment of the monthly bills, but Apri maintained its position that Abreco pays P4 million in Jan. 31, another P4 million on Feb. 7, another P4 million on Feb. 14 and the last P4 million on Feb. 21.

“We are trying our very best to meet the demands in the name of our consumers,” he said.

Abreco has been at the end of criticisms in the past because of power outages that were reportedly mostly laced with political maneuverings out to discredit the power cooperative’s officials to remove them.

Seares said Abreco nailed down an agreement with Apri on Jan. 30 (Wednesday) despite all these and apparent difficult requisites imposed on them.

Supply agreements will have to be on a monthly basis as required by Apri, Seares said.