BAGUIO CITY – The National Electrification Administration (NEA) admitted that one of the applicants for the position of general manager of the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) did not submit the pertinent requirements to justify compliance to the prescribed minimum qualification standard, especially on the 5-year experience.
In a virtual meeting with members of the city council, NEA institutional Development Department Manager Nolie Alamillo claimed that despite the alleged non-compliance of the applicant to the requirements of the 5-year experience, the 9-man screening committee still transmitted to the Board of Administrators the names of the two applicants for consideration to the position of BENECO general manager because the said applicant was able to meet the 80 percent passing score.
The council invited NEA and BENECO officials to serve as resource persons to clarify certain issues that cropped up when the NEA-BOA passed RB Resolution No. 2021-47 which endorsed to the BENECO board of Directors the applicant who garnered the highest score in the final interview for appointment to the position of general manager in gross violation of pertinent provisions of NEA Memorandum No. 2017-035 and Memorandum No. 2018-004 or the guidelines governing the hiring and termination of general managers.
Alamillo also informed local legislators that it was the first time that the NEA-BOA had endorsed to the Board of Directors the applicant that garnered the highest score in the final interview for appointment to the position of general manager.
Under the prescribed minimum qualification standards for applicants to the position of general manager of electric cooperatives, individuals must possess at least 5 years experience in the management of a successful electric cooperative and related businesses aside from possessing the appropriate trainings and seminars on business administration and management.
Last week, the BENECO board rejected the NEA-BOA endorsement and reiterated the earlier appointment it made for Engr. Melchor S. Licoben to occupant the position of general manager vice the late GM Gerardo P. Verzosa as embodied in Resolution No. 2020-090 dated April 21, 2020.
With the obvious flawed screening process that was done and the evident violations on the established guidelines in the selection of general manager, the council requested the NEA-BOA to comply with the prescribed regulations in the screening and processing of the applicants for the position and for the same to be sensitive to the social acceptability of people to be appointed to the sensitive post so as not to compromise the current status of BENECO as one of the top performing rural electric cooperatives in the country having achieved its classification of Class AAA.
The council also demanded from the NEA to furnish a copy of the results of the background investigation, the examination and the tests administered by the University of the Philippines among other related documents to the local legislative body for its ready reference, guidance and further needed action.
The council questioned the NEA on its failure to submit to the BENECO board the aforesaid requirements pursuant to the existing regulations that had been adopted by the agency several years ago. By HENT