MANILA, Philippines — The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is looking to transition to online transactions by mid-July, forced by the coronavirus disease or COVID-19 pandemic.
“If you look at our website, we have already posted our rules on e-filing, public consultations. By middle of July, we should already have our e-filing in place,” ERC chairperson and CEO Agnes Devanadera said in a recent webinar.
By transitioning to electronic filings and online transactions, the ERC hopes to get up to speed in its regulatory actions.
“This is the reason why we think we can go faster. This is the brighter side of COVID-19, we’re forced to do the virtual meeting, consultations and the e-filings,” Devanadera said.
The ERC earlier came out with draft guidelines which allow electronic filings and virtual hearings following the lockdown imposed by the government due to COVID-19.
The proposed guidelines allow and provide the ERC with a safe means to continuously perform its mandate amidst the ongoing public health emergency.
These guidelines will cover the filing of new quasi-judicial applications or petitions, of pleadings for cases pending before the commission, application for certificate of compliance (COC), retail electricity supplier’s (RES) license, meter type approval and authority to maintain meter shops, and of consumer complaints.
It will also touch on the conduct of virtual hearings and mediations, submission of reportorial requirements; and sending request letters to the ERC.
The subject interim guidelines shall be in effect for the duration of the state of public health emergency and/or state of calamity, until and unless either or both declarations are lifted.
The ERC, however, may subsequently adopt the guidelines on electronic filing and pre-filing, as well as the conduct of virtual hearings and incorporate the same in its rules of practice and procedure which is currently undergoing review and improvements.
From March 16 until the lifting of the enhanced community quarantine, the power regulator had cancelled all scheduled hearings and conferences as it operated on a skeletal workforce basis.
The cancellations were “in view of the recent pronouncement of President Duterte that work in the Executive branch is suspended in light of the government’s aim to contain the transmission and spread of the COVID-2019.”
Under this scheme, the ERC said all scheduled hearings (conducted by the legal service), conferences (conducted by consumer affairs service), pre-filing conferences (conducted by the regulatory operations service) were cancelled until further notice.