NEA seeks emergency fund for electric coops

MANILA, Philippines - The National Electrification Administration (NEA) is proposing a “comprehensive” emergency fund for electric power cooperatives (ECs) and its member-consumers to assist them in their disaster relief, recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.

The proposal would have a wider scope compared to Senate Bill 1461, also known as Electric Cooperatives Emergency and Resiliency Fund Act of 2017. 

NEA chief Edgardo Masongsong said while he supports the bill that seeks to establish a P750-million fund to enhance the resiliency of the electric cooperatives, the proposed measure only covers the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the distribution lines damaged during disasters.

“The proposed disaster fund only covers the reconstruction distribution lines of electric cooperatives. The concept of the bill is not holistic…Maybe we can have it expanded to include recovery, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction,” he said in Filipino.

The bill filed by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian is proposing the creation of a P750 million dedicated calamity fund to finance rehabilitation works and strengthen the resiliency of electric cooperatives when natural calamities strike.

It would be an alternative funding source for electric cooperatives’ disaster repair and rehabilitation projects, apart from the interest-bearing calamity loans from state-run NEA which supervises 119 ECs nationwide.