March 27, 2018 | 9:42 pm
The Department of Energy said there
is a need to devolve its functions to the field offices “to optimize its
operations and in order to synchronize and to eliminate redundant functions.”
THE Department of Energy (DoE) said
it devolved the functions of the bureaus in the central office to its three
field offices in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.
It called the reorganization an
“institutional strengthening” to decentralize the implementation of its
policies, plans, programs and regulations.
The DoE’s Department Order No.
DO2018-03-004 has listed seven general functions of the department’s bureaus
and service units to be exercised by the three field offices in their
respective jurisdictions, including the conduct of regional-based monitoring
activities, evaluations, surveys, profiling, site visits or inspections, and
spot checks.
The DoE said there is a need to
devolve its functions to the field offices “to optimize its operations and in
order to synchronize and to eliminate redundant functions.”
In its order, the DoE also devolved
the specific functions of the following bureaus: Energy Resource Development
Bureau, Energy Utilization Management Bureau, Electric Power Industry
Management Bureau, Oil Industry Management Bureau, Energy Policy and Planning
Bureau, and Renewable Energy Management Bureau.
For energy resource development, for
instance, the field offices have been given the authority to accept, evaluate
and act on applications involving small-scale coal mining permits, mine safety
inspector and mine safety engineer permits; and to cancel or terminate such permits
for cause.
The field offices are also to
inspect, evaluate and monitor small-scale coal mining operations, as well as
investigate and validate illegal coal mining activities.
They are also authorized to accept,
evaluate and act on applications for the issuance of coal trader permits and
coal end-user registrations, and monitor their reportorial compliance pursuant
to existing DoE circulars.
The bureau covering electric power
management has devolved to the field offices its specific functions, such as
the monitoring of plants, site visits for new power plants or those undergoing
construction or expansion.
In case of an emergency such as
forced outage, calamity, fire and sudden breakdown, the field offices are also
mandated to perform the functions of the Manila-based bureau.
The field offices are also
authorized to conduct performance audits or the audit of the actual capacity of
power generation plants, transmission and distribution facilities.
The DoE undersecretary or assistant
secretary in charge of the field offices are to oversee “the efficiency and
effectivity of the performance of the general and specific functions”
enumerated in the department order.
Also this month, the DoE issued an
order, DO2018-03-0003, that created a centralized review and evaluation
committee for the integration of the current committees administering the
review and evaluation of renewable energy, petroleum, downstream natural gas,
and coal service contract applications, as well as the award, amendment and
termination of contracts.
The centralized review and
evaluation committee is to be headed by Undersecretary Donato D. Marcos as
chairman, with Assistant Secretary Caron Aicitel E. Lascano as vice-chairman.
The members of the committee are assistant secretaries Redentor E. Delola,
Leonido C. Pulido III and Gerardo D. Erguiza, Jr. — Victor V. Saulon
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