Napocor, Transco heads assume office Feb. 1

The newly appointed presidents of the National Power Corp. (Napocor) and the National Transmission Corp. (Transco) will assume their respective posts on Feb. 1 instead of Jan. 1 as earlier announced.

Malacañang announced on Friday the appointments of Rogelio Murga, who will replace acting Napocor president Rolando Quilala, and Alan Ortiz, who will replace Transco president Asisclo Gonzaga.

Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said President Arroyo decided to move back the effectivity of the two men’s appointments to enable their predecessors to complete the reorganization of the state-run companies.

"There is an ongoing reorganization at Napocor which Quilala has been undertaking so the President wants this completed first before Murga takes over," and the case is the same at Transco, Tiglao said.

He told reporters the reorganization was mandated by the electric power industry reform law passed by Congress last year to bring down the country’s electricity rates, one of the highest in Asia, and improve the supply of power.

Murga and Ortiz, Tiglao said, were appointed based on the expectation that they would be able to fast-track power industry reforms called for by the law.

"The appointments are in line with the reform program for the electric power sector, designed to improve its efficiency and develop its capability to serve the nation’s electricity requirements," Tiglao said.

"Both appointees have outstanding track records as corporate executives. Their experience and insights in the private sector will be valuable in the implementation of the market-oriented power reform program."

Murga is a former president of construction giant Engineering Equipment Inc. (EEI). A civil engineer, Murga rose from the ranks, starting as production manager in 1966.

He became company president and chief executive officer in 1988 and vice chairman and director from 1999 to 2001.

Ortiz, on the other hand, is currently serving as consultant of Sen. Sergio Osmeña. Tiglao said Ortiz headed a Senate panel involved in the crafting of the power industry reform law.

He has a doctorate in international relations from Wharton School and he held various managerial and executive positions in both private business and in the government.

He also headed the now-defunct Coordinating Council for the Philippine Assistance Program during the administration of Fidel Ramos.

One of Ortiz’s jobs as Transco president is to soon implement a still-pending bill in Congress that would grant Transco a 50-year franchise, authorizing it to privatize Napocor’s power transmission assets.

Transco is a company spun off from Napocor to handle the privatization of its power transmission facilities. — Marichu Villanueva