Under RA 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), the industry requires that the capabilities of EC Officials should be at par with those of the other players in the competitive environment.

Policies/guidelines pertaining to EC District Elections for Board of Directors (BODs) should be accordingly handled beginning with the meticulous screening of candidates to the EC Board and the accompanying strategy by which to capacitate them, to ensure that the Board of Directors and its Officers are of better grasp and advanced understanding of EC operations.

I. ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT FOR EC BODs

The Annual General Membership Assembly (AGMA) is one of the major institutional activities of the coop which must be strictly observed as provided for in the EC By-Laws. This is a once-a-year affair where member-consumers are updated with the coop ™s status of operations and where their views and sentiments are heard.

Thus, attendance to this assembly is one of the duties and responsibilities of a coop member. Attendance to at least two (2) AGMAs within five (5) years prior to the filing of one ™s Certificate of Candidacy is now required for candidates to the Board. This is an additional requirement to the existing qualifications prescribed under Section 7 (Qualifications for Board of Directors), Article II - œEligibility to Run and Certificate of Candidacy  of the Election Guidelines.

Attendance to trainings/seminars on Cooperative Management Courses (CMCs) I, II and III, Good Governance and EPIRA 101 is a must for the newly-elected Directors to equip them with the knowledge and skills that will aid them in laying out coop plans, and formulate policies necessary to govern effectively.

II. FOR QUALIFIED CANDIDATES TO THE EC BOARD

As part of the screening process for candidates, attendance to pre-election briefing/orientation to be conducted by the Institutional Services Department (ISD) shall be mandatory. This is done in order to avert the filing of nuisance election protest and minimize election-related disputes. Failure to do so shall be a ground for disqualification.

Likewise, the candidates shall commit to comply with the provisions of the Election Guidelines and shall respect the outcome of the elections which represents the will of the member-consumers. As such, they shall issue a written commitment to fully support all rules and regulations of the EC.

The ISD shall be responsible for the immediate and orderly implementation of these requirements.

These Guidelines shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

The applicability of these Guidelines shall not in any way impair and/or alter the effectivity dates of those ECs which have previously approved and adopted the additional qualification requirements herein.

Adopted: 15 March 2009

(SGD.) EDITA S. BUENO
Administrator