Beneco execs to NEA: We want OIC as gen manager
BAGUIO CITY – Benguet Electric Cooperative
officials, managers and employees disputed credentials of a Malacanang
Assistant Secretary and opposed her application with the National Electric
Administration to sit as Beneco general manager.
They urged the NEA board of administrators in a letter to endorse instead engineer Melchor S. Licoben, incumbent officer in charge (OIC) as general manager of the power firm.
The letter was signed by lawyer Esteban A. Somngi, board of directors president and department managers lawyer Delmar O. Carino, Brenda Carling, Artemio M. Bacoco, Ricardo Pallogan, Ramel Rifani including Jason Wayet, Beneco Supervisors Association (BSA) president and Jefferd C. Monang, BELU (Beneco Employees Labor Union) president.
This, after Assistant Sec. Anna Marie Rafael Bana-ag of Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) filed with the NEA her application to sit as Beneco GM.
“We, the undersigned representing the Beneco board and employees, humbly seek the wise judgment of the NEA BOA on who should it endorse to the Beneco board of directors to be the next general manager of Beneco,” they said in a letter dated April 26, 2021.
A letter of lawyer Vicar Loureen G. Franco, NEA Deputy Administrator for Electric Cooperative Management Services to the Beneco dated Jan. 11, 2021, said there were two applicants currently being evaluated by NEA – Licoben and Bana-ag.
At press time, the NEA BOA was reportedly deliberating the merit and fitness of the applicants.
“We are confident that the selection process has strictly abided with the provisions of NEA memorandum 2017-035 dated Oct. 24, 2017 and NEA memorandum 2018-004 dated Jan. 17, 2018.
Under NEA memorandum no. 2017-035, qualifications for general manager of electric operatives under NEA include the following:
Trainings and seminars in any or all for the following areas: electric cooperative principles, supervision and/or management, strategic planning/organization and operation of business enterprises, values enhancement and leadership trainings, resource utilization, development and management, corporate governance, energy and management.”
NEA memorandum no. 2017-035 stipulated a general manager must have at least five years experience with proven track record in effective management of a successful electric utility-related business enterprise, held two or more senior management positions involving business leadership or managerial functions and must have no derogatory or adverse administrative record in any of his/her previous employments.
“We have nothing against the other applicant (Bana-ag). But we are in a quandary on how could she had possessed the foregoing qualifications. These qualifications are mandatory. And since the Beneco is a distribution utility, there must be a premium on the readiness of the applicant to manage an EC in terms work experience and trainings attended,” the Beneco executives told NEA directors.
They cited NEA memorandum 2017-035 which said, “The successful operation of an electric cooperative as a service enterprise depends in substantial degree upon the effectiveness of it General Manager. It is, therefore, essential that a competent, dedicated person or high integrity be selected for this position. To ensure the able compliance and successful response by the ECs to all these new challenges, an EC General Manager (GM) must be highly qualified, competent and dedicated to spearhead all efforts towards the attainment of the targeted results.”
Beneco executives in their letter said, “The applicants may both possess dedication and high integrity. But competence is another thing. Competence means knowhow, skills and experience. For sure, Licoben is above par. We are sure that Licoben is more highly qualified, more competent and more dedicated given his more than 30 years of work with the EC and given the fact that he has risen from the ranks.
“The qualifications required by the NEA memo are mandatory. And since the Beneco is a distribution utility, there must be a premium on the readiness of the applicant to manage an EC in terms work experience and trainings attended. We are curious to know how ASEC Anna Marie Rafael - Bana-ag could have hurdled these qualifications. The qualifications are a pass or fail category and for sure, she would have gotten less points on this aspect without any intent to diminish her ability. We are interested to know the points gathered by both applicants and how the work experience and qualifications were factored into the selection.”
Beneco officials, in their letter, urged the NEA BOA to consider the following:
“Engineer Licoben was the assistant general manager (AGM) during the incumbency of the late GM Gerardo Verzosa. The position of an AGM was created as part of the succession plan in which no other EC employee deserved the same other than Licoben. To veer away from such direction would negate and render useless such strategic plan which the NEA has likewise approved.
“Attention must also be given to the fact that Licoben has the support of the stakeholders within its franchise area. The member consumer-owners through the different sectors and organizations, including local government units, have strongly expressed their support for Licoben as the next General Manager through various resolutions copies of which have been earlier furnished the NEA.
The said support must not be ignored. The NEA memo says that in case the BOD chooses a DM to be the GM, “the public shall also be encouraged to submit any information in support of the application or otherwise.” The EC did ask the public to submit their support. The LGUs of Baguio City and Benguet and the member consumer owners positively responded in favor of Licoben. The EC is a cooperative and the members reign supreme. These decision of the consumers and the other stake holders must be seriously considered. The BOA must not ignore this fact of support.”
The Beneco officials said in the letter the board of directors of the power firm had already passed a resolution expressing its decision for Licoben to be appointed as Beneco GM.
“The selection of a GM under NEA memorandum no. 2017-035 provides two options – one, to recruit through publication and two, for the BOD to choose from the department managers. The BOD made a resounding choice when it chose to use the second option and soundly endorsed engineer Licoben to be directly appointed as GM. This could have spared NEA the time spent for recruiting a new GM since it is the BOD itself which made clear of its decision for Licoben to take the helm of the EC. Nevertheless, we believe that the selection process the NEA did, inclusive of the assessment of the qualifications, were faithful to the rules.
“The pandemic has severely impacted on the operations of Beneco. A well rounded leadership is the key to combat the hurdles of these times. We need a GM that could steer us and the EC to effectively accomplish our business continuity plan.
We repose in the BOA an unprejudiced discernment in the exercise of its discretion. Please consider,” Beneco officials told the NEA BOA.
Copies of the Beneco officials’ April 26, 2021 letter were furnished to NEA administrator Edgardo Masongsong and Philreca Partylist congressmen Presley de Jesus, Sergio Dagooc, Godofredo Guya and Adriano Ebcas.
Copies were also furnished to Philreca general manager Janeene Colingan, NAGMEC (National Association of General Managers of Electric Cooperatives) president Allan Laniba, Baguio and Benguet local government units and Beneco board of directors. – By Alfred Dizon
They urged the NEA board of administrators in a letter to endorse instead engineer Melchor S. Licoben, incumbent officer in charge (OIC) as general manager of the power firm.
The letter was signed by lawyer Esteban A. Somngi, board of directors president and department managers lawyer Delmar O. Carino, Brenda Carling, Artemio M. Bacoco, Ricardo Pallogan, Ramel Rifani including Jason Wayet, Beneco Supervisors Association (BSA) president and Jefferd C. Monang, BELU (Beneco Employees Labor Union) president.
This, after Assistant Sec. Anna Marie Rafael Bana-ag of Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) filed with the NEA her application to sit as Beneco GM.
“We, the undersigned representing the Beneco board and employees, humbly seek the wise judgment of the NEA BOA on who should it endorse to the Beneco board of directors to be the next general manager of Beneco,” they said in a letter dated April 26, 2021.
A letter of lawyer Vicar Loureen G. Franco, NEA Deputy Administrator for Electric Cooperative Management Services to the Beneco dated Jan. 11, 2021, said there were two applicants currently being evaluated by NEA – Licoben and Bana-ag.
At press time, the NEA BOA was reportedly deliberating the merit and fitness of the applicants.
“We are confident that the selection process has strictly abided with the provisions of NEA memorandum 2017-035 dated Oct. 24, 2017 and NEA memorandum 2018-004 dated Jan. 17, 2018.
Under NEA memorandum no. 2017-035, qualifications for general manager of electric operatives under NEA include the following:
Trainings and seminars in any or all for the following areas: electric cooperative principles, supervision and/or management, strategic planning/organization and operation of business enterprises, values enhancement and leadership trainings, resource utilization, development and management, corporate governance, energy and management.”
NEA memorandum no. 2017-035 stipulated a general manager must have at least five years experience with proven track record in effective management of a successful electric utility-related business enterprise, held two or more senior management positions involving business leadership or managerial functions and must have no derogatory or adverse administrative record in any of his/her previous employments.
“We have nothing against the other applicant (Bana-ag). But we are in a quandary on how could she had possessed the foregoing qualifications. These qualifications are mandatory. And since the Beneco is a distribution utility, there must be a premium on the readiness of the applicant to manage an EC in terms work experience and trainings attended,” the Beneco executives told NEA directors.
They cited NEA memorandum 2017-035 which said, “The successful operation of an electric cooperative as a service enterprise depends in substantial degree upon the effectiveness of it General Manager. It is, therefore, essential that a competent, dedicated person or high integrity be selected for this position. To ensure the able compliance and successful response by the ECs to all these new challenges, an EC General Manager (GM) must be highly qualified, competent and dedicated to spearhead all efforts towards the attainment of the targeted results.”
Beneco executives in their letter said, “The applicants may both possess dedication and high integrity. But competence is another thing. Competence means knowhow, skills and experience. For sure, Licoben is above par. We are sure that Licoben is more highly qualified, more competent and more dedicated given his more than 30 years of work with the EC and given the fact that he has risen from the ranks.
“The qualifications required by the NEA memo are mandatory. And since the Beneco is a distribution utility, there must be a premium on the readiness of the applicant to manage an EC in terms work experience and trainings attended. We are curious to know how ASEC Anna Marie Rafael - Bana-ag could have hurdled these qualifications. The qualifications are a pass or fail category and for sure, she would have gotten less points on this aspect without any intent to diminish her ability. We are interested to know the points gathered by both applicants and how the work experience and qualifications were factored into the selection.”
Beneco officials, in their letter, urged the NEA BOA to consider the following:
“Engineer Licoben was the assistant general manager (AGM) during the incumbency of the late GM Gerardo Verzosa. The position of an AGM was created as part of the succession plan in which no other EC employee deserved the same other than Licoben. To veer away from such direction would negate and render useless such strategic plan which the NEA has likewise approved.
“Attention must also be given to the fact that Licoben has the support of the stakeholders within its franchise area. The member consumer-owners through the different sectors and organizations, including local government units, have strongly expressed their support for Licoben as the next General Manager through various resolutions copies of which have been earlier furnished the NEA.
The said support must not be ignored. The NEA memo says that in case the BOD chooses a DM to be the GM, “the public shall also be encouraged to submit any information in support of the application or otherwise.” The EC did ask the public to submit their support. The LGUs of Baguio City and Benguet and the member consumer owners positively responded in favor of Licoben. The EC is a cooperative and the members reign supreme. These decision of the consumers and the other stake holders must be seriously considered. The BOA must not ignore this fact of support.”
The Beneco officials said in the letter the board of directors of the power firm had already passed a resolution expressing its decision for Licoben to be appointed as Beneco GM.
“The selection of a GM under NEA memorandum no. 2017-035 provides two options – one, to recruit through publication and two, for the BOD to choose from the department managers. The BOD made a resounding choice when it chose to use the second option and soundly endorsed engineer Licoben to be directly appointed as GM. This could have spared NEA the time spent for recruiting a new GM since it is the BOD itself which made clear of its decision for Licoben to take the helm of the EC. Nevertheless, we believe that the selection process the NEA did, inclusive of the assessment of the qualifications, were faithful to the rules.
“The pandemic has severely impacted on the operations of Beneco. A well rounded leadership is the key to combat the hurdles of these times. We need a GM that could steer us and the EC to effectively accomplish our business continuity plan.
We repose in the BOA an unprejudiced discernment in the exercise of its discretion. Please consider,” Beneco officials told the NEA BOA.
Copies of the Beneco officials’ April 26, 2021 letter were furnished to NEA administrator Edgardo Masongsong and Philreca Partylist congressmen Presley de Jesus, Sergio Dagooc, Godofredo Guya and Adriano Ebcas.
Copies were also furnished to Philreca general manager Janeene Colingan, NAGMEC (National Association of General Managers of Electric Cooperatives) president Allan Laniba, Baguio and Benguet local government units and Beneco board of directors. – By Alfred Dizon
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