Beneco salary raise, Kapangan hall blues

BEHIND THE SCENES
Alfred P. Dizon

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – I have some friends working with the Benguet Electric Coop. who are now silently at odds over a proposal of management to increase the salaries of department managers to P100,000 per month.

The rank and file is smarting over the proposed increase saying if salaries of department heads would be increased that much, then their salaries should also be commensurately upped. They said they are the ones doing the dirty work while the managers are just signing papers.

Protagonists within management said the increase was justifiable considering that the power firm is one of the best performing power firms nationwide in terms of profits. Justifiable or not, the proposed increase (pasensya kayon kakadwa dita Beneco), is not the way to endear management to member-consumers.

This, considering that the latter are the ones faithfully paying their monthly bills. Their lines are even cut anytime by inconsiderate workers who don’t ask the owner of the establishment or residence to shut off their appliances first since their line would be disconnected. They enter private properties without asking permission and disconnect at will.

I was a victim of these workers who I learned later were contracted by the Beneco on a job-out basis. I must admit we forgot to pay our electric bills on time and it was okay with me if they cut the line but they should have informed me first. What happened was since I didn’t save the articles I was editing, my work of two hours disappeared into thin air. I had to do it all over again.

Now, back to the proposed salaries. At the risk of being called a kill joy by our friends in the Beneco, it is suggested that this be put in the freezer until this is discussed in a general assembly.

If majority of consumers approve of it, then by all means, implement it. But if not, then the suggestion should be sent back to the proponents to discuss it over some spirits at a watering hole along Session Road in Baguio.

Come to think of it, the proposed salary of P100,000 per month per department manager is even higher than the salary of the president of this Banana Republic.

I guess, sensitivity to growing opposition to the pay raise should be considered. The National Association of Electric Consumers for Reform is opposing the plan saying the current monthly salary of a Beneco department head which is P55,000 is much higher than salaries of career executive government workers.

According to the Nasecore, the P55,000 is actually P20,000 higher than the salary grade of ranking government employees.

A Beneco department head said the proposed pay raise was justified as they had proposed this already to the National Electrification Agency.

Those who signed the Nasecore resolution opposing the pay raise were chairperson Emerita Fuerte, vice chairperson Catalino Panganiban and board members Peter Dumaguing, Marcelo Abela and Bial Palaez.

Copies of the Nasecore resolution were also furnished to the Department of Energy, Cooperative Development Authority, Energy Regulation Authority and Benguet Provincial Board.
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Over in Kabayan, Benguet, the white elephant that is supposed to be the kabayan municipal hall is still there, a testament to graft and corruption perpetrated by government officials.

This is the sentiment of local folk who said they have been planning to complain about it for many years until they saw a picture of the ugly edifice on the front page of the Northern Philippine Times three weeks ago.

The still unfinished building, according to an informant, was reportedly the “milking cow” of the past two administrations as local officials, including the Commission on Audit were party to misuse of public funds in its implementation.

The contractor was reportedly able to get the full payment for the building even if it was unfinished. An investigation by concerned agencies on the matter is in order. According to the locals, the eyesore had always ticked at their conscience since they were not able to do something about it and those involved in the anomaly have ignored their verbal complaints.