The National Electrification Administration (NEA) has assigned a project supervisor to the Zamboanga del Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ZANECO) pending the resolution of governance issues in the power utility.
NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong issued Office Order dated July 24, designating Sherwin Mañada as project supervisor, effective immediately, to oversee the management and operations of ZANECO.
Mañada is authorized to approve or disapprove Board resolutions in consultation with the concerned NEA departments.
The NEA intervention came after the disagreement between ZANECO management and some members of the Board of Directors that led to the filing of an administrative case, which is currently being heard by the NEA Administrative Committee.
Masongsong said the ongoing conflict imperils the integrity of ZANECO, and it may even adversely affect the delivery of services to the member-consumer-owners of the power distribution utility.
“In order to prevent the possibility of service decline and to protect the interest of the member-consumer-owners pending the resolution of the situation, it is imperative for the NEA to intervene,” the NEA chief said.
The designation of a project supervisor is pursuant to Presidential Decree (PD) No. 269, as amended by Republic Act No. 10531, otherwise known as the “National Electrification Administration Reform Act of 2013,” granting the NEA the power of supervision over the management and operations of all ECs.
As contained in the order, Mañada is authorized to approve or disapprove Board resolutions in consultation with the concerned NEA departments, which shall not be nullified, altered or diminished by any policy or resolution of the ZANECO Board.
The NEA chief emphasized the need to ensure continuous supply of electricity during the coronavirus pandemic.
His other functions include the authority to countersign checks, withdrawal slips, and other banking transactions, as well as perform other tasks that may be assigned by NEA for the purpose of operational efficiency.
On July 31, Masongsong joined the newly installed project supervisor in a meeting with the Board of Directors and the ZANECO management, as well as with the National Center of Electric Cooperative Consumers, Inc. (NCECCO) – Zamboanga del Norte Chapter.
In the said meeting, the NEA chief emphasized the need to ensure continuous supply of electricity during the coronavirus pandemic.
Mañada replaced Atty. Xerxes Adzuara whose appointment as ZANECO project supervisor under NEA Office Order dated November 29, 2019 was recalled due to the varying community quarantine restrictions imposed nationwide amid the coronavirus pandemic.