NEA takes over operations of Catanduanes power cooperatives

MANILA, Philippines — State-run National Electrification Administration (NEA) has taken over embattled First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative  to ensure proper management of the power cooperative and delivery of electric service to consumers.

NEA issued an order last week designating Orlando Andres as project supervisor and acting general manager tasked to manage the day to day operations of the electric cooperative and ensure Ficelco’s operational efficiency.

According to the agency, residents of Cantanduanes are assured of better electric services after months of persistent power outages when the cooperative was still under the leadership of its president Alexander Hung.

Business owners, civic groups and church leaders in Catanduanes have been clamoring for the takeover of the island’s electric cooperative by NEA given the six to eight hour daily rotating brownouts.

Bishop Manolo delos Santos of Virac and the Catanduanes Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) earlier called on NEA to take over the operations of Ficelco to protect its members-consumers. They want the agency to put an end to the frequent power interruptions that cause suffering to thousands of island residents and millions of pesos in lost business opportunities.

In a recent audit, NEA discovered that the brownouts were due to the cooperative’s failure to establish proper system operations, dispatch protocol and power reliability despite the anticipated surge in power demand during the hot summer months.

An anti-corruption watchdog has also filed an administrative complaint against Ficelco and its former officers for the cooperative’s failure to provide proper electricity service to consumers.

The Catanduanes Crusaders Against Illegal Drugs and Corruption (CCAIDC) said island consumers were deprived of quality service due to Ficelco’s gross failure to comply with its obligations to deliver and ensure adequate and reliable power supply.