ERC cancels hearings amid outbreak

By Jordeene B. Lagare – March 16, 2020
from The Manila Times

THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is suspending all scheduled hearings and conferences starting today (Monday) after the government placed Metro Manila under “community quarantine” to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in the country.

“All scheduled hearings (conducted by the Legal Service), conferences (conducted by Consumer Affairs Service), pre-filing conferences (conducted by the Regulatory Operations Service) are hereby canceled until further notice,” the ERC said in its advisory.

The ERC, however, would be operating on a “skeletal workforce basis” from March 16 to April 14.

“Frontline services extended by the Consumer Affairs Service and Docket Section will continue from Monday to Friday,” the agency said on Friday.

Earlier, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) assured transmission projects in the pipeline would still be undertaken but certain measures would be in place amid the outbreak.

“Transmission projects will continue as scheduled, barring any unforeseen circumstances,” the grid operator said.

These contingency measures would ensure uninterrupted power transmission services such as a work-from-home approach for non-essential personnel and a containment strategy for personnel whose functions are indispensable to the seamless operations of the power transmission grid, specifically grid dispatchers, substation operators, engineers and other critical personnel.

Due to this emergency situation, the NGCP said it is implementing a two-person 24-hour shifting strategy for those manning the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system, which controls the grid. A 12-hour shifting strategy is also in place for vital support groups.

For its part, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) would start implementing a four-day workweek arrangement beginning on Monday until the state of public health emergency is lifted.

Except for security personnel, all NEA employees and its support service partners shall observe the new regular schedule from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.