Monday, September 08, 2008 Echaves: One’s loss, another’s gain By Lelani P. Echaves Thinking Aloud
EXCEPT for the recent encounter, I had met him about only twice before. That was between 1992 to 2001 when he was assistant city administrator for the Cebu City Government during the earlier years of Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
In charge of the planning and operations of the Economic Enterprises Management (EEM) Department, particularly the public markets and the city abattoir, Edgar R. Masongsong succeeded in increasing revenues to multimillion levels. Naturally, he was awarded by the City Government four times for his exemplary performance.
The awards, however, were no match to envy rearing its ugly green head, and to some barangay captains with business interests in public markets who wanted the EEM head out. Seeing that the city mayor was swaying to the machinations of the “we bulong” crowd, the former seminarian born in San Pablo City but with the roots of a Batangueño tendered his resignation.
Not surprising for a man who in his younger years had joined the underground movement but upon realizing it was directionless, decided to leave. My sources say that upon hearing of plans to hunt him down, Masongsong confronted the leaders and, with a gun in one hand and a grenade in the other, dared them to end everything right there and then, or else let him be as he walked away.
Cebu City’s loss was the electric coops’ gain. After Cebu City, Masongong joined a team picked in 2002 to turn around the Aklan Electric Cooperative.
There, the bankrupt coop became a Category A+ in 2005.
After this success, Masongong went with the turnaround team to the Bukidnon II Electric Cooperative Inc. (Buseco). Its mandate from the National Electrification Administration (NEA): To handle Buseco’s organizational rehabilitation and management reforms. Initially, he was executive officer and eventually in July 2007, became its general manager.
And what a difference just one-and-a-half years make. A hundred percent of the 172 barangays have been energized, and over 19 percent increase was achieved each for total number of members served and house connections.
Towards a meeting at 9 a.m., employees were rushing preparations to begin on time, lest “ERM,” as he is fondly called, calls them inefficient. The common allergy to tardiness is in keeping with their battlecry of FIT, meaning financial, institutional and technical fitness as an organization.
On the institutional level, he reviewed the organizational manning and individual employee’s performance records.
Translation: regular employees were trimmed down by 15 percent, thanks to an effective early retirement program, and temporary workers were reduced as well.
On the technical front, Buseco’s systems loss was reduced to 9.69 percent in July this year, from 18.9 percent in 2005.
More remarkably, its operating margin increased by 162 percent. And its classification as electric cooperative was upgraded into Category A+ from B.
Never one to rest on his laurels, Masongsong’s aim is to bring down the systems loss to 9 percent and later, move on to greater challenges. Perhaps Afghanistan where a friend is setting up credit unions.
