GENERAL SANTOS CITY — What do consumers really want from SOCOTECO II? Better service, less politics, and a system that actually works.

That’s the clear message from a snap survey released by the Bantay Kuryente Movement, which gathered feedback from 100 respondents across General Santos City, Sarangani, South Cotabato, and nearby areas. The respondents, who are Member-Consumer-Owners (MCOs), shared their views as discussions about possible privatization continue.

Are consumers willing to pay more?

Surprisingly, yes — if service improves.

The survey shows that 91.5 percent are open to a slight increase in power rates, but only if brownouts are reduced or eliminated and customer service gets better. Just 8.5 percent said they prefer to keep the current setup, a sign that frustration over outages and service issues is running high.

What about privatization?

Consumers aren’t calling for the cooperative to disappear. In fact, 95.7 percent want to keep their co-ownership and their voice in how the utility is run. Only 4.3 percent favor a full private takeover. The message is clear: reform the cooperative — don’t remove it.

And politics?

On this, respondents were unanimous. They want politics and politicians kept out of SOCOTECO II and for the cooperative to operate strictly as a service-oriented institution.

Bantay Kuryente said the results reflect what consumers have been saying for years — they want reliable electricity, professional management, and a power provider focused on service, not politics.

The group is now urging the SOCOTECO II Board of Directors to listen to its MCOs. It also called on the National Electrification Administration and other regulators to ensure that all legal processes, including competitive bidding for any potential partner, are properly followed.

For many consumers, the bottom line is simple: fix the service, keep their voice in the system, and take politics out of the equation.