Entrepreneurial Farmer

Ambrosio R. Villorente

Good Public Relations
Is Excellent Performance

According to a most trusted source, Akelco has included P300,000 in its 2009 budget to finance a massive public relations campaign. It is a media campaign in order to develop favorable image of Akelco among its member-consumers and the Aklanons. This is a lot of money that Akelco can save and still create a beautiful image. It can minimize expenses and reduce operations loss.

Public relation is a plan designed to promote favorable image of an individual, a group of individuals, a commodity or an organization. This is done through the mass media, outdoor advertisement like streamers, billboards; posters, movies, internet, handbills, and other forms of information dis-semination. It is also done by holding meeting, seminar, field trip, exhibits.

But the excellent and most effective public relations is PERFORMANCE. Members of the tri-media outfits like radio, television, and newspapers will project the best performance of an individual, organization, and commodity without cost, very minimal if any.

What are the best in an individual such as a candidate for an elective position will be highlighted in the mass media for the information of the voters without cost. Likewise, what are objectionable in that candidate will be given the voters.

When an individual pays for publicity, the people will think and feel what are highlighted in that individual’s life is only the good side.

As to an organization, like the Akelco, the member consumers will salute, congratulate, praise to high heaven for all the best performance. But how will Aklanons salute, praise Akelco when it reported 99.14 percent collection, and 12.06 percent systems loss but in its 2009 operations, Akelco lost P140 million?

An organization which spends more money to improve its public image maybe short of performance. How can Akelco improve its image when it brings some damage to its clients? That transformer explosion in Poblacion, Banga on Sept. 6, 2009 could have been prevented if it has followed some preventive measures. This reflected the quality of performance; the frequent power stoppage too.

Propensity to Spend

But Akelco management has the propensity to spend. In the previous years, Akelco employed Mr. Edgar Isada as its auditor. He is an Aklanon and therefore he does not need to incur more expenses in the performance of his functions as Akelco auditor.

Mr. Isada is readily available in case he is needed. He does not need more time and expenses to report to Akelco. But what is wrong with Mr. Isada? His service was terminated. As member consumer, I do not know the reasons why his services with Akelco was stopped. Only the Akelco management and Board of Directors know the reasons.

In the place of Mr. Isada, a CPA from Bacolod City was hired auditor. Here, Akelco will pay his transportation expenses from Bacolod City to Kalibo and his return trip to Bacolod City. This transport expenses is saved if Isada is allowed to continue his job. Isada does not need to travel from Bacolod to Kalibo as he is an Aklanon.

Since the auditor is a stranger in Aklan, then he will stay and sleep in the hotel. Who pays his hotel bills? Consumer members, neither Akelco BOD nor management. How about his food? Akelco cannot starve him, he must be fed.

This explains or illustrates why Akelco is losing in its operations inspite of its 99.14 collection efficiency and 12 percent system losses. /MP