Saturday, March 03, 2007

Entrepreneurial Farmer

By Ambrosio R. Villorente

Progress In Roxas, Oriental Mindoro
Roxas Oriental Mindoro is now a very progressive municipality brought about by the implementation of the Strong Republic Nautical Highway. The construction of the pier in Barangay Dangay triggered its rapid development.
Several years ago, Roxas town was a stunted town, just similar to any Philippines typical town. There was only one main road that transversed the Poblacion and linked the municipalities of Bongabon in the northeast and the town of Mansalay in the southwest. In fact, Roxas used to be a barangay and part of Mansalay called Paclasan.
Today, Roxas students population enjoy the services of four (4) colleges, all private and several elementary and secondary schools. The business sector is being served by five (5) banks.
Roxas voting population is 22,500 much bigger than that of Ibajay’s 22,100 voters. Since, Roxas is becoming a strategic point in the Strong Republic Nautical Highway, travel service facilities had blossomed. Hotels, restaurants and amusements have been put up and still they are improving. Roxas now is a place for relaxation. Find resorts and videoke bars by the beach and in the middle of the fish farms.
Pacquiao’s Second Thought
Filipino boxing idol Manny Pacquiao is having second thought of his political ambition. A great number of Pacquiao fans have expressed disapproval of his plan to join politics specifically to become a candidate for congressman of his province. Many wished Pacquiao will not push through his political ambition.
UNTENABLE AKELCO BOARD MEMBERS FUNCTIONS
It will be a very good idea for the members and chair of the Akelco Board to forego the usual holding of Board of Directors meeting. Better still if they voluntarily resigned from the Akelco board.
Majority of the Akelco consumer-members feel, the present members have forsaken them. They feel the Akelco directors have abandoned the people who elected them to the board. Instead, the Akelco board have advanced the interest of a private power producer.
It is very clear to the consumer members that the Akelco board members worked with Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for the approval to increase the cost of electric power in Aklan and part of Antique. It petitioned ERC to approve the rate increase. When the consumer-members complained against price increase, the Akelco Board did nothing but pointed them to petition the ERC to reduce the price as the power rate increase was approved by ERC.
To imagine that Akelco board petitioned ERC to increase power rate in Aklan and pointed to ERC to reduce power distribution cost is sickening. What a betrayal!
For one thing, Akelco board members cannot even safeguard the money of the Akelco. What is the use of staying there any longer? No Akelco board member can answer satisfactorily the three million pesos questions (P3M). According to Mr. Nemesio Neron, it was used as lobby money. He should have understood better as lobbying is not allowed in the Philippines.
Until today, the state of the P3 million is unknown; who spent the money and for what?
A decent man in his right mind with a negative public perception should have quitted as Akelco board member long time ago. Some of them were appointed to the board and some have expired terms. Anyway, they parried some questions to the management and staff who usually invoke the right to remain silent on some matters because, "I was not involved in the negotiation" or "the deal was done before I came."
The continued presence of the present members of the Akelco board to serve the consumer members is no longer tenable. For the time being, let the Akelco management run the day to day affairs of Akelco.
PRIVATIZING AKELCO
The best economic term of the government is "privatization". Akelco is best converted into a corporation rather than into cooperative. But why is National Electric Administration oppose to its conversion?
Akelco as a corporation will be well managed, provide better services to the clients and extraneous intervention will be minimized, if not stopped. If we can only agree, Aklanons can do it and raise enough money for operation and maintenance. All the factors of production are present in Akelco. It has the personnel, the land, the machineries, the capital and the technology. Corporate management will function according to expectation because there will be no outside interference and personal interest of some people disastrous to Akelco.
Akelco has existed for several years in Aklan. Until today, it has never given any dividend to its consumer-members. Instead, it is always buried in deep debt. When can it fully pay its debt?
Almost all electric cooperatives had sank in debt and paid nothing to its members. But look at private electric corporations such as the Meralco, it pays annual dividends to its stockholders. Let us convert Akelco into a stock corporation and experience a professionally managed electric corporation providing high quality services to clients. /MP

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