The power industry has become complex that it does not begin and end with just delivering power to every consumer. This in capsule was how Milagros Quinahon, director of the National Electrification Administration (NEA), described how the power sector operates under a deregulated industry. Quinahon, who traces her roots in Pagudpud town, spoke before 50 trainees-linemen who completed a month-long power distribution linemen’s training and safety course that the Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative sponsored. Quinahon was the keynote speaker during the graduation rites on Saturday, September 9 at the Palazzo de Laoag Hotel. “We mean business, not just business as usual,” says Quinahon describing how power distribution is dealt with by those involved in the energy sector. Engineer Romillas Pascual said INEC shouldered the training cost which amounted to P2,000 per trainee. The linemen’s training was one of the measures to improve the cooperative’s services to its consumers. For his part, Lorenzo Ray Ruiz, president of the INEC board of directors, said the linemen are guaranteed of employment with the cooperative as soon as INEC implements its new structure. “We need fresh legs in the cooperative,” Ruiz said. Quinahon noted that the power industry consists of power generation, transmission and distribution coming into play before consumers can make use of electricity in their homes and offices. She said the complex nature of power distribution became more defined under a deregulated industry under R.A. 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act. Among the agencies that are involved in the power industry are the National Electrification Administration, the Energy Regulatory Commission, the Department of Energy, the National Transmission Commission and the 119 electric cooperatives nationwide. For its part, NEA oversees over-all supervision of the 119 power cooperatives ensuring their compliance with the standards set by the administration including the selection of general managers and training of department heads. Quinahon said the administration’s primary function is to ensure transparency in the transactions and management of cooperative officials. “We maintain close communication with cooperatives so that whenever we see any infraction in their documents, we call their attention right away so they can make the necessary correction,” she said. Quinahon said the on-going re-organization of INEC employees’ structure is a means to make cooperatives responsive to the call of the times. The EPIRA law has provided that electric cooperatives undergo a re-structuring of employees’ position to make them responsive with the changing nature of the power industry. A model structure targets a lean but competent cooperative, which is able to respond to the demands of the power industry. Quinahon noted that NEA led by example by undergoing a re-organization upon the implementation of the Epira law. “From 700 workers, we were down to only 302 (or a 59 percent reduction) doing the same volume of work,” she said. “We adopted multi-tasking so that one can complete work assignments which two or three people could have done,” she added. Cristina Arzadon, (PIA-Ilocos News Service)
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