MORE NEWS, ABRA

Abra power exec backs bid to amend cooperative code
By Jack Turqueza

BANGUED, Abra – The new leadership of this province’s electric cooperative has expressed support for a pending House bill that seeks to amend provisions of Republic Act 6938 or the Cooperative Code of the Philippines.

Former Bangued (Abra) councilor Loreto "Jun" P. Seares Jr., newly installed general manager of the Abra Electric Coop., said he is supporting a move to file a new House bill "for this will translate into tremendous benefits for our cooperative and, ultimately, for our member-consumers."

Seares said his support for the bill was solicited the other day by party-list Congressmen Ernesto C. Pablo and Edgar L. Valdez of the Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (APEC).

He said he was told that the two APEC representatives are now laying the groundwork for the filing in Congress of House Bill 3207 which would seek to introduce amendments to the provisions of the cooperative code.

The two congressmen are consulting party-list members to iron out kinks in the bill.
"On our end, members of our (Abreco) board of directors are now drafting a resolution of support for our solons’ move to amend the cooperative code. Anytime now, we will send this manifesto of support to them," Seares said.

He said the bill aims to simplify the conversion of electric cooperatives, like Abreco, into "real stock cooperatives" and their registration with the Cooperative Development Authority.

Existing electric coops, he said, are also given the option to convert into stock corporation under the corporation code.

Abreco, the general manager said, is already registered with CDA. "We are about to submit our new articles of incorporation and by-laws. For all intent and purpose, Abreco is now owned by member-consumers. As a matter of fact, I have formed a committee to study and formulate measures and schemes for the awarding of dividends to our member-consumers even though we are still in a transition period," Seares said.

Aside from the formation of the committee, Seares said, he is set to issue an administrative order directing the creation of a technical working group (TWG) that would tackle concerns, issues, and other important matters involving Abreco’s eventual conversion into a full cooperative of the member-consumers.

The Cooperative Code of the Philippines has freed CDA-registered electric cooperatives from the burden of paying millions of pesos in taxes to the government, especially to local government units.

The new Abreco general manager said passage of HB 3207 will put an end to the problems and woes of the nation’s electric cooperatives, particularly the spiraling of power cost and the perceived interference by government agencies with related or similar interests in the management of their affairs.

Seares said that the new bill would free Abreco and other electric cooperatives already registered with CDA from the impositions of government agencies.