By Edward Alipio | Baretang Bikolnon
Daet, Camarines Norte — “Serbisyo sa tao, ‘wag gawing negosyo.”
This was the chant of various consumers, labor workers, and youth representatives in front of the Camarines Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (CANORECO) building in Magallanes Ilaod, Daet on October 13, 2026 to protest the possibility of CANORECO’s privatization through a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with AboitizPower Corporation.
The CANORECO Not For Sale Movement led the protest action, calling for the withdrawal of the presentation of the JVA agenda at the Board Meeting simultaneously happening on the same day.
“Investors who come to Camarines Norte will only cause businesses to incur losses,” said Oliver Pardo, co-convenor of the CANORECO Not For Sale Movement, during his solidarity message.
On September 2, 2026, the electric cooperative received a Letter of Intent (LOI) from energy company behemoth AboitizPower, which later gained traction online following allegations that the board voted in favor of entertaining a presentation of a proposal from the company.
The movement raised apprehensions over the lack of consultation with its stakeholders regarding the matter, which presents an absence of transparency and accountability on the part of the cooperative.
According to Union President of CANORECO Rank-and-File, Malou Mella, the privatization of electric cooperatives prioritizes profit over public service and does not necessarily guarantee improved services for consumers.
“For us, many electric cooperatives, not only here in Bicol but throughout the Philippines, have been infiltrated by private entities. These entities do not provide the best services. Most companies that enter JVAs and privatization fail to deliver quality services to member-consumers,” Mella said.
Mella also stated that it is even more concerning that there has been a recurring pattern of privatization of utility companies across the country, which raises concerns about employees’ job security. “As a labor worker, this is difficult, especially when you know that this is your bread and butter,” she said.
“We would be put in a difficult position once again. Just like in the case of the cooperative, our wages would change if we were transferred to a private company,” Mella added. “Things would no longer be the same because the usual practice is either to absorb us into the new company or require all of us to resign before rehiring us. This would mean starting all over again.”
In a subsequent development of the privatization issue, the Board of Directors of CANORECO has officially rejected the LOI submitted by Aboitiz Power Corporation.
Under the Resolution No. 171, Series of 2026, the Board found the LOI lacking clarity on the proposed partnership’s nature, structure, and potential impact on CANORECO and its member-consumer-owners, as well as its compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
“For us, it ain’t over until it’s over. Until it is clear that the issue of the Joint Venture Agreement of Privatization of Aboitiz in CANORECO will not continue,” Pardo said.
