COTABATO CITY -- The Aboitiz-owned Cotabato Light and Power Company (Colight) and the local government of Cotabato have signed for the adoption of a project that will help prevent fire, electric pilferage and make village officials trained and certified electricians.
“If successful, the project could become a model in the entire country,” Anna Lea Lee Nataño, Colight Human Resources and Reputation Enhancement head, said Friday of the project, dubbed as “Tatsulok.”
“Tatsulok” (triangle) refers to three groups that composed the project – Colight, Cotabato City government and the “Liga ng mga Barangay” (Association of Village chairpersons).
Nataño said “Tatsulok” aims to address at least three areas that concern public safety, namely fire prevention, prohibit pilferage and improvement of the firm’s services to its clients.
She said the firm needs the general public through the village officials in preventing pilferage and promote energy conservation.
“Communities and pedestrians are at risk of fire and electrocution when there are illegal connections,” said Nataño after the Nov. 9 signing of Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between Colight Asst. Vice President and General Manager Judy C. Sanchez, Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi and 37 village chiefs of Cotabato City at South Seas Mall convention center.
Nataño said electric consumers “will benefit if we have low system loss which translate to disposable income to families.”
“Electricity pilferage is against the law,” Sanchez said, referring to Republic Act No. 7832 or An Act penalizing the pilferage of electricity and theft of electric power transmission lines/materials, rationalizing system losses by phasing out pilferage losses.
“Countering electricity pilferage is everyone’s responsibility (and) Colight cannot do it alone, we need the LGU and Barangay officials,” Sanchez said.
“Tatsulok” has supporting programs that will benefit both the program proponent and the beneficiaries.
Under the “Kasangga program,” the Barangay government will endorse two potential electricians to be trained by TESDA for 15 days, targeting National Certificate (NC II) licensed after schooling. Once completed, they will eventually become barangay electricians, also known as “Kasangga electricians.”
The partners or “Kasangga” will help Colight in promoting electrical safety, become anti-pilferage advocates and most all “Kasangga ni Kap sa Barangay.”
Another “Tatsulok” supporting program is “Oplan PBA” (Punong Barangay Awards), a Colight program to recognize Punong Barangay advocating anti-pilferage in his or her constituents. To be recipient of “Oplan PBA,” there must be zero-pilferage case in his area of jurisdiction and must be consistent for at least six months.
Colight will also declare a village “pilferage-free” after choosing the chairperson as Oplan PBA awardee.
Also supporting “Tatsulok” is Colight’s “BEST CAP,” an acronym for “Barangay Electrician Skills Training Competency-building Anti-pilferage Project.”
To avail of this supporting program, the village chief should be an “Oplan PBA” awardee to qualify. The village chair has the privilege to choose from his constituents’ potential scholars to study under the Technical Education Skills Development Authority as electricians.
Colight will shoulder the cost, provides allowance and complete set of tools for the trade.
Added to all these are other community development projects that the Aboitiz firm will introduce in collaboration with partners.
For her part, Mayor Sayadi posted on her FB page the city government is determined to continue eradicating illegal acts in the city, especially pilferage or illegal tapping (of electricity) that causes fire and conflagration.
“We signed a MOA with Colight to help eradicate pilferage and unnecessary power interruption due to illegal tapping,” Sayadi said.
She said under the project, the city government and the barangay government would help monitor and prevent illegal connections in their respective locality.
“Local officials will report to Cotabato Light any illegal electrical connection in the barangay,” she said. “Cotabato Light will disconnect and penalize violators. I would like to remind Cotabateños that like monetary thief, illegal electrical connections are another form of theft," she stressed.
Sayadi further said illegal electrical connections could trigger fire in residential areas that may result to loss of lives and properties.
“So, let us all help prevent pilferage. Altogether, we jointly fight all forms of criminality and illegal electric connections in Cotabato City so we continue to grow and develop as a city,” Sayadi said. The project commenced after the MOA signing. (PNA)
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