Roughly 70-percent of the country’s electric cooperatives (ECs) scored ‘highest rating’ in a recent performance assessment carried out by the National Electrification Administration.

The agency announced that 85 out of the 121 ECs nationwide had been bestowed with “AAA” rating or “excellent” in their overall performance as assessed for year 2019 outcomes.

Of the 85 ECs that garnered highest rating, NEA noted that 30 power utilities were given scores of 100 points – based on the performance parameters employed in the assessment of their operations.

The electrification agency highlighted the ECs that sustained ‘excellent performance’ are those in: Region I (Ilocos Region); Region VI (Western Visayas); Region VIII (Eastern Visayas) and the CARAGA Region in Northeastern Mindanao.

NEA similarly indicated that 103 ECs or around 85-percent had been rated to either have AAA, AA or A ratings in their performance; 11 of which were noted to have newly improved on their performance levels.

“The AAA rating is the highest score given by the NEA to ECs that indicates the power distribution utilities’ full compliance to all parameters. The D rating is the lowest,” the agency explained.

As noted by NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong, “the ECs that need further improvements in the overall performance should re-assess their financial, institutional and technical operations; implement more aggressive strategies and activities; and closely monitor their progress to address major issues and concerns.”

NEA emphasized that the 2019 ECs overall performance assessment and size classification “will serve as the basis for the adjustments of salaries, benefits, allowances and incentives of EC

officials and employees.”

The power utilities that exhibited turnaround in their performance include: Lanao Del Norte Electric Cooperative (LANECO); Sorsogon I Electric Cooperative (SORECO I); Pampanga III Electric Cooperative (PELCO III); Nueva Vizcaya Electric Cooperative (NUVELCO); Misamis Occidental I Electric Cooperative (MOELCI I); Camarines Sur III Electric Cooperative (CASURECO III); Quezon I Electric Cooperative Inc. (QUEZELCO I); Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative Inc. (OMECO); Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative Inc. (DANECO); Abra Electric Cooperative (ABRECO) and Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative Inc. (ZAMCELCO).

For the ECs that had been perennially tagged as “ailing”, NEA noted that ABRECO in particular had progressed from Category D to C; while Masbate Electric Cooperative and Sulu Electric Cooperative maintained their status at Category C.

Further, the agency emphasized that the weak performing ECs – chiefly Albay Electric Cooperative Inc. (ALECO), Basilan Electric Cooperative Inc. (BASELCO), Lanao del Sur Electric Cooperative Inc. (LASURECO) and Tawi-Tawi Electric Cooperative Inc. retained their “Category D” rating.