INEC needs big funding

DINGRAS, Ilocos Norte, June 29– Land space is not the problem but INEC would spend big money if its main office is transferred to Laoag City, district director Enrico “Cocoy” Ruiz of Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative said.

Ruiz, also INEC spokesman, reacted to the new national policy directing all electric cooperatives in the country to move out their main offices situated from remote towns to the center of the province to bring them closer to the people.

He hinted that it would add burden to the electric member-consumers if the funding is passed on to them to finance the proposed transfer and construction of another new INEC main office building in Laoag.

The present INEC central office is located at Brgy. Suyo, Dingras, Ilocos Norte. It was erected there more than 40 years ago during the initial years of INEC operation under its first general manager Oswaldo “Pollong” Parado, a Dingreno.

Relocating the INEC main office to Laoag would further aggravate overcrowding in the city, Ruiz said.

The city’s vehicular traffic woes may worsen as more people would come in drove to transact business with the Coop office, he explained.

He noted that many cities in Metro Manila are now trying to transfer some national government offices from the metropolis to the nearby provinces in an effort to decongest their cities.

At present, he said that INEC has sub-offices in different strategic locations in the province that cater to the needs of the general public.
The proposed transfer is not yet final, however, the INEC board is set to tackle this transfer agenda in its next regular session, it was learned.(Tri-media report)