The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By Weng Ocfemia
The Central Luzon Regional Development Council (RDC) has asked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Energy (DOE) to fasttrack the issuance of joint guidelines on compensation for electric cooperatives.
Based on a department circular issued by the DOE, electric cooperatives are empowered to construct, acquire, own, operate, and maintain sub-transmission and distribution lines along publicly-owned lands and thoroughfares and that in cases where the government needs to use such lands and thoroughfares the electric cooperatives shall be properly compensated while the DPWH shall issue joint guidelines, which are consistent with the issuances of the Energy Regulatory Commission within 180 days from its implementation.
But in 2014, the DPWH issued a contradicting directive that prohibits the provision of road right-of-way for the construction of buildings including posts and towers of electric cooperatives.
It further stated that should clearing operations be made for road widening and other developments, no compensation should be paid on the removal of these facilities.
Severino Santos, RDC vice chairman and National Economic Development Authority (Neda) regional director, said the contradicting directives from DPWH and DOE were causing confusion among parties concerned, like what happened in the case of Region 9 or Zamboanga Peninsula.
Zambales Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. who is also RDC 3 Sectoral Committee on Infrastructure Development chaiman, said the two agencies have yet to issue joint guidelines to avoid disruption of public services.
RDC 3 is the highest policy-making body in Central Luzon and serves as the counterpart of the Neda Board at the subnational level.
It is the primary institution that coordinates and sets the direction of all economic and social development efforts in the region and serves as a forum where local efforts can be related and integrated with national development activities.
Council members include all governors, city mayors, municipal mayors of capital towns, presidents of municipal mayor’s league, regional directors of national government agencies and representatives from the private sector
“To settle this, both parties should come up with joint guidelines to avoid disruption of public services. They should sit down and do it together instead of individually doing it,” Ebdane added.