National Grid Corp kicks off linemen's training nationwide

CEBU, Philippines - The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) is starting its first nationwide linemen’s training in Cebu on August 15-16, in response to the urgent requests of its customer-partners.

Cebu Electric Cooperatives (CEBECO) I, CEBECO II, and CEBECO III are among the first beneficiaries of this program especially designed for NGCP’s direct customers.

“In our recent meetings with our directly connected customers from north to south, this kind of training for linemen was identified as a good opportunity for technical information exchange and cooperation,” said NGCP president and chief executive officer (CEO) Henry T. Sy Jr.

The first of a nationwide series of free training courses for linemen will be conducted at NGCP's Lineman's Academy in Brgy. Canamucan, Compostela.

“For this program, NGCP is working together with electric cooperatives to equip linemen of both the transmission and distribution utilities with basic knowledge and skills for the maintenance of sub-transmission lines,” Sy added.

The possibility of NGCP doing restoration or emergency work together with the electric cooperatives will be greater because of this skills enhancement program with its partners, Sy explained.

This program he said will result to faster restoration time, shorter power interruptions and overall improvement in power reliability and security.

NGCP is the country’s sole power transmission service provider and system operator. It operates and maintains transmission facilities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, including 19,575 circuit-kilometers of high-voltage transmission lines and 25,842 megavolt amperes (MVA) of substation capacity.

NGCP’s customers include electric cooperatives, private distribution utilities, generators, and large industries directly connected to the grid.

Although the lineman’s training program is designed for electric cooperatives who acquired 69-kiloVolt lines or sub-transmission lines, it may be made available even to those distribution utilities not acquiring sub-transmission facilities. NGCP can customize its training modules to accommodate those utilities who would want to upgrade its personnel’s capabilities.

NGCP conducts the training for free and provides the training modules and services of expert resource persons, which when packaged would normally cost more than P200,000.

Since this is a nationwide training program, the beneficiaries after CEBECO I, II, and III will be coming from utilities in other parts of the country like Samar Electric Cooperative, Northern Samar Electric Cooperative, Davao Oriental Electric Cooperative, Nueva Ecija Electric Cooperative II, Ilocos Sur Electric Cooperative, and the Public Utility Department of Olongapo City.

In addition to the lineman’s training program, NGCP has instituted the following reforms for the benefit of power customers: 1) more timely responses to customer concerns and complaints, which includes the prompt issuance of notices of scheduled power interruption and other notifications as well as letter requests; 2) pick-up service for the payment of transmission bills to NGCP, which will be a more convenient and hassle-free arrangement for the customers; and 3) availability of the transmission bills in the online system called UBSS or the Unified Billing and Settlement System, which will offer up-to-date information, including load profile data, for all customers.

NGCP shares the aspirations of electric cooperatives to bring reliable power and excellent services to customers nationwide.

“NGCP will strive to efficiently fulfill the service requirements of electric cooperatives,” Sy said.—(FREEMAN)