Moresco I’s Oro consumers want own board rep

WITH over 22,000 member households, Cagayan de Oro City should have one representative on the board of the Misamis Oriental Electric Service Cooperative Inc. (Moresco I), an administration councilor said recently.

“If there’s a complaint from any of our constituents in barangays Tignapoloan, Besigan, Pagalungan, Taglimao, Tuburan, and Tumpagon (concerning Moresco’s services), we don’t have a representative (to Moresco’s board of directors). Since (they divided their services) to two districts, the four barangays (in the west) should address their concerns to a Moresco I board member (in Opol town),” said Councilor John Michael Seno.

Seno raised this point during a recent meeting of the City Council’s committee on public utilities, energy, and transportation. Seno, who chairs the council’s committee on public works, gave a special report on the issue saying that Cagayan de Oro City should have a voice in Moresco I’s board of directors since the city is part of Misamis Oriental province.

Despite its close proximity to Cagayan de Oro, Opol town is considered part of the province.

During the committee meeting, Moresco I manager Jovel Ubay-Ubay said the last time Cagayan de Oro City had a representative on Moresco I’s board of directors was back in 1995.

“Barangay Canitoan chairperson Marlyn Lagumen represented the city during the tenure of the late mayor Vicente Emano,” he said.

A petition for a separate Cagayan de Oro representative to Moresco I’s board of directors was also raised to the City Council by leaders of Moresco consumer owners (MCO) federations in the city.

Moresco I currently groups Cagayan de Oro’s member-consumers into two districts: District 10 with four barangays together with Opol town and District 11 with 11 barangays together with Talakag town, Bukidnon province.

Ubay-Ubay said Moresco I services 11 franchise areas that consist of the towns of Lugait, Manticao, Naawan, Initao, Libertad, Gitagum, Laguindingan, Alubijid and El Salvador in Misamis Oriental.

He said Moresco I’s board of directors filed a request to the National Electrification Administration (NEA) for the re-districting of their service areas as stated under the coop’s constitution.

“Since we have so many member-consumers in the city, they are not deprived of the opportunity to run for the board of directors of Moresco I regardless of which district they are,” Ubay-Ubay said, adding that they will consider the petition by the city’s member federations.

Later, Seno proposed that the utility committee file a resolution urging NEA to add another Moresco I district for the city. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)