DoE orders PEMC to be run by committee; names Ala chairman

THE Energy secretary has ordered the creation of a “transition committee” for the management of the Philippine Electricity Market Corp. (PEMC), the governance arm of the country’s wholesale electricity spot market (WESM).

In a statement during the weekend, the Department of Energy (DoE) said under the department order issued by Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi on Friday, the committee is to be chaired by Oscar E. Ala who will exercise the function of PEMC president “until one is appointed by the PEMC board.”

Earlier this year, Mr. Cusi asked the previous members of the board to submit their courtesy resignations. No official reason was given for the surprise move.

WESM is the country’s centralized venue for buyers and sellers to trade electricity as a commodity where its prices are based on actual use, or demand, and availability, or supply.

Until last Friday’s order, PEMC President Melinda L. Ocampo, who was a member of the PEMC Board, had attended to the company’s official functions.

The DoE said the transition panel is also mandated “to assess PEMC’s existing structures, systems, and resources and propose a way forward for the WESM to meet the challenges ahead. The order gives the committee seven months from Aug. 1, 2017 to complete its tasks.”

Mr. Cusi said the creation of the transition committee “is in line with President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s thrust of ensuring the protection of the Filipino electricity consumers, who are affected by the operation of PEMC and the WESM.”

He said PEMC “shall continue to effectively govern the operations of WESM for the benefit of all electricity stakeholders.”

He also gave his assurance to PEMC employees that on the organization level, its leadership “shall continue to improve and advance their welfare as WESM operations continue to evolve.”

Mr. Ala, as PEMC chairman, will be joined in the committee by Jose Mari T. Bigornia, Jose M. Layug, Jr., Francis C. Saturnino Juan and Rauf A. Tan.

PEMC’s new board will be composed of Mr. Cusi as chairman, and the following as members: Ronald Dylan P. Concepcion, Victor Emmanuel B. Santos, Emmanuel V. Rubio, Neeraj Bhat, Deon James, Rolando M. Cagampan, Octavius M. Mendoza, Allan L. Laniba, Noel V. Aboboto, Jesus L. Arranza and Peter L. Wallace as board members. —