To ensure electric service reliability in the coming elections, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) has ordered the creation of a task force that will monitor the power situation in areas covered by electric cooperatives across the country.
Administrator Edgardo Masongsong issued Office Order No. 2018-099 dated April 30, establishing “NEA Power Task Force Election (NPTFE) 2018.” The task force’s objective is to monitor the ECs’ electric service before, during and after the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on May 14.
The task force is composed of the NEA Engineering Department, Corporate Communications and Social Marketing Office (CCSMO), Information Technology and Communication Services Department (ITCSD), and Human Resources and Administration Department (HRAD).
NEA Deputy Administrator for Technical Services Engr. Artis Nikki Tortola is designated as the oversight authority while Engineering Department manager Engr. Ferdinand Villareal is assigned to lead the task force.
“The NPTFE 2018 shall render 24/7 operation to help ensure the electric cooperatives’ electric service are adequate and reliable in their respective coverage areas before, during and immediately after the May 14, 2018 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election,” Masongsong said.
The Engineering Department is tasked in monitoring the power situation of ECs and in coordinating with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and the National Power Corporation, while the CCSMO is in charge of disseminating the power situation reports to all concerned external parties.
Meanwhile, the ITCSD’s function is to set-up and provide the necessary communication requirements to be used by the Engineering team at the NEA Command Center. The HRAD, on the other hand, is responsible in providing services, such as vehicle, back-up power, repair, among others.
The NEA, a government-owned and controlled corporation, has the supervisory powers over 121 ECs across the country, including those registered with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), as mandated under Republic Act 10531, otherwise known as the “National Electrification Administration Reform Act of 2013.”