THE Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative (Zamcelco) is set to replace defective and broken electric meters of its member-consumer-owners (MCOs) in different villages of the city.
Lawyer Rommel Agan, Zamcelco chief management officer, said Crown Investment Holdings, Incorporated and Desco Incorporated (Crown-Desco), the joint venture investor-manager of Zamcelco, has purchased 41,000 new electric meters to replace the defective and broken units of MCOs.
The replacement will begin upon the arrival of 30 linemen from other electric cooperatives on August 25.
The deployment of the 30 linemen is in line with the move of the National Electrification Administration (NEA) to create “Task Force Metro Zamboanga” to help Zamcelco implement improvements and programs.
“We have programs, and one of which is the replacement of electric meters. Although it can be implemented by Zamcelco alone, NEA thought the work will be faster with the help from other electric cooperatives,” Agan said in an interview during the 46th Annual General Membership Assembly (AGMA) of Zamcelco on Sunday, August 17.
“It is part of the support of NEA to us. The more hands, the faster the work,” Agan added.
He said the 30 additional linemen will also assist in the inspection of all meters of “big loads,” referring to industries and commercial establishments.
Zamcelco currently has 107,948 active connections—residential, industrial, and commercial.
“They will also help us in our disconnection operations. They will support in all of our programs,” Agan said.
To boost its workforce mobility, Zamcelco will also acquire a new fleet of vehicles purchased by Crown-Desco. These include two boom trucks (truck-mounted cranes) and 27 mixed four-by-four and four-by-two customized pick-up trucks.
Six customized pick-ups arrived on Friday, August 15, while the rest will arrive in batches every two weeks. Currently, Zamcelco rents vehicles since several of its units are already unserviceable.
Meanwhile, a senior citizen from Zamcelco’s first district won the grand prize—a brand-new Piaggio three-wheeler—during the 47th AGMA held on Sunday, August 17, at Mayor Vitaliano Agan Coliseum in Tetuan village.
Another lucky MCO from the sixth district took home a motorcycle, while others won prizes such as electric bikes, laptops, a television set, and a refrigerator.
The highly anticipated event drew a crowd of 8,834 MCOs and was lauded for its orderly and successful conduct. (SunStar Zamboanga)