What Happens After Approval of the Negros Power Franchise in Congress

Members of Congress have given final approval to House Bill No. 9805 on its third and final reading. This happened last Wednesday, February 21, 2024, during a regular session of the 19th Congress. The approval stemmed after a long process to grant the Negros Power Franchise. Where does the company go from here? Read on.

Negros Power Franchise Approved in Congress

House Bill No. 9805 grants the Negros Electric and Power Corporation (NEPC) a franchise to establish, operate, and maintain an electrical distribution utility (DU) system. This is to supply electric power to end-users in various areas within Central Negros Occidental, including the capital, Bacolod City.

With a majority vote of 225 members in favor, 9 against, and 1 abstention, the approval is just one of the many steps for NEPC’s authority to operate. They still have several giant bureaucratic steps to conquer to be able to improve electricity distribution in the Central Negros franchise area.

• Related: Negros Power Gets Nod of Congress

What’s Next in the Processing of the Negros Power Franchise?

To help us consumers better understand that the JVA was only the start of a long journey to have our electrical facilities improved to achieve Supercity or Super Province status, here is the next phase.

The next step involves transmitting the approved bill to the Senate for its concurrence. The stakeholders will have to present and defend their proposal before the esteemed Senators of the Philippines.

Upon Senate approval, the bill will bear the joint signatures of the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. It will then be certified by the respective secretaries and that will be the time that it can be forwarded to the President of the Philippines.

Once the bill secures Presidential approval, it will be assigned an RA number and returned to the House of Representatives.

In the case of a veto, the bill, along with an explanation for the veto, will be sent back to the originating House for further action.

We are looking forward that the Negros Power Franchise gets its final approval so that improvements in electricity distribution can already start in Bacolod City and Central Negros.