Members of the South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative (Socoteco II) have voiced strong support for a proposed partnership with IGNITE Power aimed at upgrading power services across the region, officials confirmed.
The announcement came during the cooperative’s 43rd Annual General Membership Assembly, which drew over 32,000 member-consumer-owners across four synchronized venues in General Santos City and Sarangani Province.
Board president Elenito Senit officially signed the conditional joint venture agreement with IGNITE Power on July 23 following board authorization. IGNITE Power is a joint venture formed by Manny Pacquiao’s MP Holdings Inc. and the Razon Group’s Primelectric Holdings Inc.
The proposed agreement seeks to bring private capital into the cooperative to rehabilitate, expand, and modernize its aging distribution infrastructure. Cooperative leadership noted that private investment is vital to resolving long-standing technical and financial hurdles, ultimately improving power reliability and overall service quality for consumers.
During the assembly, members confirmed the board’s resolution authorizing the conditional deal. Attendees also approved a separate resolution requesting an immediate plebiscite, ensuring that cooperative members can directly vote on the final partnership before it takes effect.
In preparation for the upcoming vote, Senit instructed the cooperative’s institutional services department to launch a broad information campaign. The initiative aims to fully explain the agreement’s details, benefits, and long-term implications to all members before they cast their ballots.
