BANGUED, Abra – The National Electrification Administration (NEA) formally took over the ailing Abra Electric Cooperative (ABRECO) to allow the rural electric cooperative to undergo a rigid rehabilitation.
NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong underscored that the takeover of the ABRECO is geared towards effectively and efficiently managing the ailing cooperative to allow the consumers to enjoy the quality service delivered to them by the cooperative.
A management task force created by NEA will take charge of the operations of ABRECO to pave the way for its projected rehabilitation to prevent the cooperative from further incurring debt due to alleged poor management on the part of its key officers and the members of the Board of Directors.
Further, the creation of the Task Force Duterte Abra Power was due to the electric cooperative’s failure to meet the operational and financial standards and parameters set and prescribed by the NEA and considering the material and significant adverse audit findings on its operations as contained in a comprehensive audit report submitted by Electric Cooperative Audit Department (ECAD) covering the period July 1, 2003 to October 31, 2016.
Based on NEA Office Order No. 168, series of 2017, the ABRECO Board of Directors will be deactivated due to its failure to lead the cooperative to meet the operational and financial standards and parameters set and prescribed by the NEA and considering the material and significant adverse audit findings.
The Task Force Duterte Abra Power is composed of Atty. Goldelio G. Rivera – Chairman with Mr. Reynaldo M. Lazo (Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative Board president), Atty. Gloria C. Corales (Ilocos Sur Electric Cooperative Board president), Rocky M. Aliping (Benguet Electric Cooperative Board president), Gerardo P. Verzosa (BENECO) general manager, Engr. Felino Herbert P. Agdigos (INEC) general manager and Engr. Egdon Sabio (ISECO) general manager as members.
Under the NEA order, the task force shall perform the duties and responsibilities of an electric cooperative board of Directors prescribed in NEA Bulletin No. 35.
In the performance of its duties and responsibilities, the task force shall be empowered to hold and conduct a strategic development planning workshop and come up with detailed action plan for implementation that may include review and strengthen the mission and vision statement of ABRECO pursuant to the listed targets in line with corporate values and department objectives, review its organizational structure and functions and look for areas of merging of functions and re-definition of assignments for submission and consideration among others that may be assigned for the purpose of ABRECO’s operational efficiency.
For the efficient operations of ABRECO, Masongsong will designate certain personnel of neighboring electric cooperatives to act as financial assistants, institutional assistants and technical assistants.
Masongsong expects that objective of remaking ABRECO into an excellent performing electric cooperative, the task force is expected to deliver the establishment of a lean and mean organizational structure with competent work force, well informed and participative member-consumers and stakeholders, planning and implementation of capital expenditure projects towards power reliability, systems efficiency and the reduction of the systems losses, prevention of power curtailment due to power shortages and outages and achievement of the management and operational performance within the NEA parameters and standards.
ABRECO is allegedly indebted to the tune of over P3 million with the NEA and millions of pesos in unpaid power bills with the supplier of power to the cooperative over the past several years.
By HENT
