DIGOS CITY, Davao del Sur – National Electrification Administration (NEA) Chief Edgardo Masongsong emphasized on Thursday (October 12) the integral role of local government leaders, especially those watching over the barangays, in ensuring the reliability of electricity service in their respective communities.
Masongsong was the keynote speaker at the 6th Punong Barangays’ Power Forum hosted by the Davao del Sur Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Dasureco), which brought together over 300 barangay captains from one city and 14 municipalities under its coverage area.
In his speech, the NEA chief apprised the local leaders of the state of rural electrification in the Philippines, laying stress on its significance to countryside development in accordance with his seven-point agenda for the agency under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
He said it is important for barangay leaders to remain actively involved in the implementation of rural electrification projects by the electric cooperatives to ensure the seamless distribution of electricity to the households.
“Sometimes a gentle wind is more than enough to set the trees in motion, tripping our power lines. Our barangay officials are there to assist our linemen in dealing with this kind of problem,” Masongsong told forum participants in his native tongue.
The administrator at the same time commended Dasureco for exhibiting exemplary operational performance in the past year, specifically for garnering consistent AAA rating in the recent assessment of the NEA, achieving 99 percent collection efficiency and single-digit system loss.
Anchored on the theme “Leading Change,” this year’s Punong Barangays’ Power Forum was held at the Center for Electric Cooperative Member-Consumer-Owners (MCOs), Dasureco Hilltop in Barangay Cogon from October 12 to 13.
The two-day gathering was intended to empower the coop’s member-consumers and advance rural electrification projects, such as the Sitio Electrification Program (SEP) and the Barangay Line Enhancement Program (BLEP), said Dasureco general manager Godofredo Guya.
“This forum is already a practice of the electric cooperative for the last six years,” Guya said, adding that they purposely convened the barangay captains to seek their assistance in dealing with right of way issues and in identifying potential beneficiaries of the free house wiring installation services.
“Pagka ayaw pumayag ng land owner na maputol ‘yung mga puno ng niyog or any other improvements diyan sa kanyang lupa, hindi pwede na ma-extend natin ‘yung line. So malaki ‘yung role ni kapitan diyan, ni barangay chairman, kasi siya ang nakakaalam doon sa mga land owners. So with that, medyo wala tayong problema doon sa right of way acquisition,” he said.
The general manager said the annual forum provides barangay leaders access to more information about rural electrification, as well as the operations of the EC, thus enabling them to develop a thorough understanding of the intricate power distribution industry.
A triple-A rated EC and recipient of Hall of Fame for Mega Diamond Award, Dasureco is the distributor of electricity in the provinces of Davao del Sur and Davao Occidental, covering one city and 14 municipalities. As of August 2017, the coop’s membership has reached 143,359 and household connections at 166,843 in its entire coverage area.
