Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS.
First Regular Session

471
House Bill Number

Introduced by:
REP. PRESLEY C. DE JESUS (PHILRECA PARTYLIST), REP. SERGIO C. DAGOOC
(APEC PARTY-LIST ), REP. GODOFREDO N. GUYA (RECOBODA PARTYLIST), AND
REP. ADRIANO A. EBCAS (AKO PADAYON PARTY-LIST)

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE LINEMAN TRAINING ACADEMY OF THE PHILIPPINES,
PROVIDING FOR ITS POWERS, STRUCTURE, APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Being one of the world's most disaster-prone countries, the Philippines has been
constantly confronted with intermittent power outages. The vicious cycle of delayed
repair and reconstruction of transmission and distribution lines has oftentimes been
aggravated by the inadequate number of linemen to carry out the repair works. This is a
serious concern that needs to be addressed.

The power lineman has been dubbed as one of the “hard to fill” jobs in the
Philippines based on the study conducted by the Bureau of Labor and Employment
Statistics (BLES) in 2007. It is also considered to be one of the world’s most dangerous
jobs. In the course of their duties and responsibilities, linemen work in a harsh and high
risk working condition. While there seems to be lacking latest statistics to prove this


point, we have seen the apparent shortage of linemen in the electric power industry, in
my experience with Electric Cooperatives for more than a decade.

For all intents and purposes, some of our Distribution Utilities, including Electric
Cooperatives, have developed their own training programs for linemen. However, the
growing demand for this type of profession has not been met by increasing the number
of apprenticeship programs available to aspiring individuals who would want to be
linemen in the future. Hence, there remains an apparent shortage for the profession.
This could also be attributed to the high training requirements and level of expertise for
this occupation. The budget in producing a lineman is also so high that almost none can
afford to pay the training expenses. Most of the time, Distribution Utilities conduct the
trainings but their expenses in producing a lineman are passed on and is being paid by
consumers.

Thus, this bill seeks to address the growing concem for the shortage of linemen
in the power utility industry. In the absence of an initiative to put up training institutions
specifically to develop linemen, goverment needs to intervene through the
establishment of a Lineman Training Academy of the Philippines that shall offer free
training to qualified candidates. The Academy shall train qualified candidates to become
skilled power lineman to construct, maintain, and operate the country’s power grid. The
Academy is also envisioned to play a vital role in providing skills development training to
meet the present challenges in the power industry.

By producing more linemen we can be assured that we have available and
adequate number of skilled workers to work and serve in the power industry that we
badly need especially during emergency situations. More so, with the regular trainings
conducted per region every year, those lineman graduates who will not be adsorbed by
the industry or employed locally could venture working in other countries where the
same skills are also in demand. Hence, this bill will also address problem of
unemployment that would benefit the Out-of-School Youth (OSY).

The passage of the bill is earnestly sought.

‘ep. PRESLEY C. DE JESUS
PHILRECA Party-List

‘GODOFREDO N. GUYA
‘COBODA Party-List

De.

Rep. SERGIO C. DAGOOC Rep. ADRIANO A. EBCAS.
APEC Party-List AKO PADAYON Party-List


Republic of the Philippines.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill Number __ 471

Introduced by:
REP. PRESLEY C. DE JESUS (PHILRECA PARTYLIST), REP. SERGIO C.
DAGOOC (APEC PARTY-LIST ), REP. GODOFREDO N. GUYA (RECOBODA
PARTYLIST), AND REP. ADRIANO A. EBCAS (AKO PADAYON PARTY-LIST)

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE LINEMAN TRAINING ACADEMY OF THE PHILIPPINES,
PROVIDING FOR ITS POWERS, STRUCTURE, APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Creation. — There shall be established in the Philippines a training
institution to be known as the LINEMAN TRAINING ACADEMY OF THE
PHILIPPINES to be herein called as the Academy.

SECTION 2. Objectives. — The establishment of the Academy is aimed to:

a. Create a pool of skilled workers to work and serve in the country’s power
industry;

b. Address the shortage of lineman training workers in the power utility
industry;

c. Develop skilled and competent workers as an alaternative solution to the
perennial and nagging employment in the country; and

d. Train entry-level electrical line workers free of cost and it shall screen and
train qualified candidates to be power lineman to construct, maintain, and
operate the power grid.

SECTION 3. Domicile. — The principal office of the Academy shall be established in
Cebu City. There shall also be one (1) satellite office for each region in the
Philippines to facilitate the selection process of qualified lineman trainees.


SECTION 4. Composition of the Training Academy. - The Academy shall be
composed of the Academy Training Board and Secretariat.

(a) The Academy shall be under the direction and supervision of the
Administrator of the National Electrification Administration (NEA), in close
coordination with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA) and Electric Cooperatives (ECs). The Academy's Secretariat shall
be headed by a Director-General with the assistance of a Deputy Director-
General and an appropriate number of Secretariat personnel. Both the
Director-General and Deputy Director-General shall be elected by the
Lineman Training Academy Board for a fixed term of five (5) years.

(b) The Academy shall have Training Board to be comprised of the following:

(i) Administrator of the NEA — Chairperson;

(i) Director-General of TESDA — Vice Chairperson;

(iii) Director-General of the Lineman Training Academy of the
Philippines - Member;

(iv) Chairman of the Grid Management Committee (GMC) and
Distribution Management Committee (DMC) — Member

(v) Three (3) representatives from the Inter-regional Association of
Electric Cooperatives representing Luzon, Visayas, and

Mindanao

(vi) National President of the Institute of Integrated Electrical
Engineering;

(vii) National President of Lineman Training Association of the
Philippines;

(viii) Representative from the National Transmission Corporation
(Transco) or National Grid Corporation of the Philippines
(NGCP).

(c) Each satellite office in every region shall have a Screening Committee to be
cpmposed of at least five (5) members.

SECTION 5. Director-General. — As head of the Academy Secretariat, the Director-
General shall also act as Chief Executive Officer to exercise general supervision and
control over its technical and administrative personnel. As such, his duties and
responsibilities include, but not limited to the following:

(a) To submit for the consideration of the Training Board the policies and
measures which may be necessary to carry out the objectives of the
Academy;

(b) To recommend, coordinate and administer the training programs and projects
of the Academy:

(c) To direct and supervise the operations and internal administration of the
Academy;

(d) To delegate administrative responsibilities in accordance with the rules and
regulations of the Academy;


(e) To submit an annual report to the Training Board highlighting the activities of
the Academy during the year, including its financial operations and status, and
@ program and budget for the ensuing year; and

(f) To exercise other functions and responsibilities a smay be delegated by the
Board.

SECTION 6. Lineman Training Board. ~ The Training Board shall meet at least twice
a year, or as frequently as may be deemed necessary by its Chairperson, to perform
the following functions:

(a) To identify appropriate electrical lineman training programs that shall meet
the requirements of the power industry;

(b) To approve appointments of academic and training consultants, lecturers,
instructors, and trainers of the Academy;

(c) To approve a standardized training module which shall define the core
competencies, including, but not limited to, basic handling and operation of
the equipment such as capacitors, transformers, voltage regulators,
potential transformers, current transformers, meters, among others;

(d) To define the mode or criteria to be considered in the selection of
trainees;

(e) To elect the Director-General and Deputy Director-General; and

(f) To conduct a regular annual review of the training module, which shall be
updated or upgraded as may be required by the exigencies in the power
industry.

The Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and Members of the Board pf the Academy shall
not receive any regular salary. However, they shall receive entitlements to actual
allowances prescribed by law, and reimbursement of necessary expenses incurred
during or in conjunction with their attendance in the regular meetings or special
sessions of the Board, in connection with their official functions which shall be duly
authorized by the Board through a Resolution.

SECTION 7. Training Centers. - The NEA shall identify one (1) training center for
every region in the country, which may be an existing training facility of a Distribution
Utility (DU) or Electric Cooperative (EC). Every regional satellite office shall screen
and identify fifty (50) trainees every year.

SECTION 8. Compliance with the Salaries and Standardization Law. — The
compensation and emoluments of the officials and employees of the Academy shall
be in compliance with the Salaries Standardization Law.

Section 9. Appropriations. —- The amount necessary to finance the initial
implementation of this Act shall be taken from the Malampaya Fund or included in
appropriations of the National Electrification Administration (NEA). Thereafter, such
funds as may be necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall be
included in the annual General Appropriations Act.


SECTION 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The implementing rules and
regulations to effectively carry out the provisions of this Act shall be adopted and
promulgated by the National Electrification Administration (NEA), in consultation with
the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and Electric
Cooperatives (ECs), not later than ninety (90) days after the approval of the Act. The
IRR to be adopted shall be published in at least one (1) national newspaper of
general circulation.

SECTION 11. Separability Clause. - If any part or section of this Act is deemed
unconstitutional, such declaration shall not affect in any manner other parts or
sections of this Act.

SECTION 12. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, proclamations, issuances, or
ordinances that are contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are
hereby amended, repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 13. Effectivity Clause. — Thus Act shall take effect fifteen (a5) days after
its publication in at least two (2) newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,