Napocor revamp to be in line with legal processes - official

MANILA, Philippines - The massive reorganization at the National Power Corp. (Napocor) will take place in accordance with pertinent processes under the law, an official of the power firm said yesterday.

Napocor spokesman Dennis Gana said the reorganization will be consistent with Republic Act (RA) 6656 or the Act to Protect the Security of Tenure of Civil Service Officers and Employees in the Implementation of Government Reorganization and RA 9136 or Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA).

“RA 6656 aims to provide the processes that will ensure that the reorganization will take place as smoothly as possible, without violating any of the employees’ rights and privileges. On the other hand, RA 9136 provides the parameters for the reorganization, basically due to the privatization of Napocor generation assets,” Gana said in a phone interview.

Gana said the proposed reorganizationfor this year still has to be presented to the Napocor board for approval.

“However, the present Napocor board can opt not to act on it, and instead leave the decision to the incoming board just as what is being done in other government agencies on pending issues,” Gana said.

He added that if the current board approves the proposal this will have to undergo the scrutiny and approval of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). Afterwards, the placement process should be in compliance with those set by the Civil Service Commission (CSC).

“It is not a simple task. These processes were set up to ensure the continuous provision and delivery of service of the agency undergoing reorganization, and that the rights and privileges of employees concerned are protected,” Gana said.

He also denied that there are still the same number of employees between 2006 and 2010.

“That is inaccurate. Employees stationed in the assets that were sold—the power plants—are usually absorbed by the new owners, as in the case of Masinloc, Pantabangan, Tiwi, Calaca and Mak-Ban, among others. Almost 90 percent of our employees in these power plants were absorbed by the new owners. Those who were not absorbed, most of the time, opt for early retirement, while others are still able to get employment somewhere else. At present there are a little less than 3,200 employees nationwide, comprising of plantilla, non-plantilla and contract of service personnel,” he said.

“Once the employee is absorbed by the new owners, his or her position is automatically abolished,” Gana added.

“More than anybody else, it is the Napocor employees that understand the need for such a reorganization. With its mandate refocused on missionary electrification and watershed management, it is important for the corporation to maintain an optimal workforce. But with our almost 75 years of existence, we still hold the distinction of being a market leader, and there is still so much that we can offer the industry,” Gana said.