NEA Seen To End Benguet Power Coop Leadership Row

May 23, 2021 JUST IN

BAGUIO CITY (May 23, 2021)—The next action of National Electrification Administration (NEA) will end the almost a year leadership row at the Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco).
This though the power cooperative regulatory body earlier endorsed a Palace mid-level official as the next general manager over its current officer-in-charge after a rigid selection process.
The Beneco board voting 10-4 in favor of assistant general manager Engr. Melchor Licuben on May 19, had rejected NEA’s endorsement of lawyer Marie Banaag Rafael citing Licuben’s three-decades old experience in the local power industry, succession rules in Beneco, mammoth support from local government units along its franchise area, among others.
Lawyer Rafael however calmly said, “It’s now up for NEA to weigh in the stakes, indicating ‘while she maybe new to the local electrification industry, her management experience from the local government, to the Office of the Ombudsman to an office under the Office of the President, gave her enough tempering to take on the job as Beneco General Manager.’
Both Rafael and Licuben underwent a rigorous multi-level selection process administered by NEA in the past several months.
NEA though chose to endorse Rafael to the top position at Beneco besting Licuben, basing it on garnered points in the selection process system.
The final decision by NEA is also seen to end the tempest at Beneco including interpersonal warps between Licuben and Rafael’s supporters and usher in a new beginning for the power cooperative, one of the country’s best performing power distributors.
Artemio A. Dumlao