State-run National Electrification Administration (NEA) held on Oct. 24 a public consultation on the draft of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 11039, also known as the “Electric Cooperatives Emergency and Resiliency Fund Act” (ECERF).
NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong gathered the general managers, directors and lawyers of the different electric cooperatives (ECs) nationwide to discuss the salient provisions of RA 11039 and seek their views and comments on the draft IRR that will pave the way for the full implementation of the law.
The consultation was held at the NEA H.E.S Auditorium in Diliman, Quezon City on Wednesday, October 24. The consultation was attended by 105 participants, composed of general managers, directors and legal officers from 63 ECs nationwide.
Under the law, the NEA will manage and administer the ECERF, which will have an initial amount of P750 million to be taken from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) Fund.
NEA Department Manager for Management and Consultancy Services Atty. Vic Alvaro, who is also the chairman of the committee tasked to craft the IRR, said they also had consulted the Department of Energy, particularly the Energy Policy and Planning Bureau, for inputs.
“After consolidating all the inputs from the different stakeholders, the NEA is confident that it can come out with the IRR of the ECERF Law by November of this year in compliance with Section 15 of RA 11039,” Atty. Alvaro said.
Passed into law on June 29, RA 11039 provides an orderly and continuing means of financial assistance to electric cooperatives in the form of grants for disaster mitigation, preparedness and rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure after a fortuitous event or force majeure.
RA 11039 provides an orderly and continuing means of financial assistance to electric cooperatives in the form of grants for disaster mitigation.
Under the law, the NEA will manage and administer the ECERF, which will have an initial amount of P750 million to be taken from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) Fund and will be released to the NEA Quick Response Fund for proper release to qualified ECs.
In case of fund deficiency, the NEA may seek the allocation of a supplementary budget, subject to the approval of the President.
The NEA may also accept donations in the form of funds, materials and equipment intended for the restoration and rehabilitation of the ECs’ damaged infrastructure, subject to existing auditing rules and regulations and shall be exempt from taxes and duties.
In turn, the ECs shall implement the rural electrification program nationwide as well as ensure the preparedness and mitigation measures to protect the infrastructure from the adverse impact of any fortuitous event or force majeure.
Based on the law, the ECs shall also ascertain the ability of their manpower to undertake emergency response for the immediate restoration or rehabilitation of their damaged infrastructure after a calamity.
The ECs are required to submit to the NEA their respective comprehensive and integrated disaster management programs, such as Vulnerability and Risk Assessments, Resiliency Compliance Plans, and Emergency Response Plans every year.
