Office Procedures (11th Revision) 2024 PDF

Office Order No. _______ Series of 2024 TO : ALL DEPARTMENTS FROM : THE GENERAL MANAGER SUBJECT : OFFICE PROCEDURES (11TH REVISION) DATE : 06 SEPTEMBER 2024 With the management's intent to streamline our processes, the following...

Office Order No. _______ Series of 2024 TO : ALL DEPARTMENTS FROM : THE GENERAL MANAGER SUBJECT : OFFICE PROCEDURES (11TH REVISION) DATE : 06 SEPTEMBER 2024 With the management's intent to streamline our processes, the following procedures/protocols shall strictly apply. Navigate the content through this guide: Department Numbers Page Area Services Department 1-19 p. 1-6 Institutional Services Department 20-46 p. 6-9 Technical Services Department 47-72 p. 9-12 Finance Services Department 73-75 p. 12-13 Office Of The General Manager / Administrative Department 76-78 p. 13-15 Corporate Planning Department 79-80 p. 15-17 A. Area Services Department 1. Transfer of kilowatt hour (kWh) meter location is strictly prohibited unless the Area Services Department (ASD) secured duly approved clearance from the Billing Section; 2. Regardless of status (i.e., disconnected, active, or no record), all kWh meter connections must be subject to meter reading every billing period. Failure to comply shall result in disciplinary action; 3. For the application of a new connection and new membership, the following procedure and procedures must apply: a. Preparation of the Request for Issuance of kWh meter, indicating the names of applicants and connection address to be submitted to the Warehouse Section; b. Issuance of kWh meter assignment per consumer and Material Charge Ticket from Warehouse/Materials Management Section; c. Submission of the accomplished Request for Issuance of kWh meter, with corresponding Meter Serial Number, to Billing Section; d. Approval of Service Memorandum - Connect Order from the Billing Supervisor, containing the encoded assigned kWh meter and account number in favor of the applicant or consumer, subject to endorsement to the concerned District Supervisor. e. f. Notification from the District Supervisor to inform the applicant/consumer of the requisite payment of the Membership Fee and Inspection Fee; g. Endorsement of the Service Memorandum - Connect Order to the maintenance crew for the proper installation and energization of the kWh meter upon complete payment; h. No application for a new connection shall be accepted without one of the following: i. Name of Barangay Electrician; ii. Photo of Barangay Electrician; iii. Name of Contractor, if available/applicable; iv. Contact Number of Applicant, Brgy. Electrician and/or Contractor; 1  i. If the application of a new connection has an existing membership, the same procedure shall apply, except for (e) the payment of the Inspection Fee and the Connection Fee; j. Before accepting and inspecting a blueprint electrical plan, the applicant shall secure a copy of the following from the District Supervisor: i. Copy of policy (Magna Carta & DSOAR); ii. Standard Operating Procedure, particularly for installing kilowatt-hour meters and service entrances, and iii. Standard design of platform for sending and receiving structure, and other necessary design if applicable and prerequisite to the application; k. The cooperative's Standard Connection Facility excludes all meter bases (socket type). Hence, this metering accessory shall be shouldered by the new connection applicants, regardless of customer type; l. The meter base must be released to the new connection applicant upon payment, based on the 2023 NEA Price Index; 4. The following documents are the updated prerequisites for a new connection: a. Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) Clearance; b. Billing Section Clearance; c. Availability of kWh Meter Certificate; d. GPS coordinates; e. Pictures of the vicinity; & f. View of possible location of kWh meter; 5. Switching kWh meter from one consumer to another is strictly prohibited; 6. All District Supervisors are liable and subject to disciplinary action if an energized new connection has no record in the Billing System; 7. All paid new connections must be energized within two days upon complete payment; 8. All reports for maintenance must have a corresponding issued Service Memorandum. If there are cases in which maintenance activities are attended due to emergency or direct calls, the Leadman shall report to the Helpline for recording and service memorandum creation immediately after; 9. All reported change meter activities must be a priority, rather than an application for new connections, within twenty-four hours (8:00 am to 8:00 am daily), subject to accomplishment through a corresponding Service Memorandum and system update within the same day; 10. ASD personnel shall concentrate on regular maintenance, sweeping activities from the disconnection and reconnection activities done by ISD, new connection, change meter, and inspection activities, among others; 11. All activities must have a corresponding service memorandum, and a copy shall be given to the Security Guard on duty, attached to the vehicle trip ticket, and complete with data logs in the vehicle logbook. Failure to comply is a liability of the Leadman / Foreman, and possibly District Chief or Immediate Supervisor, concerning command responsibility; 12. The ASD shall treat a temporary connection as a new connection, where the following procedure must strictly apply: a. The CWDO shall name the Temporary Connection Account to the establishment owner; b. Temporary connection attached to a Local Government Unit (LGU) Building or Street Lights is strictly prohibited; c. The provision of a transformer for the Temporary connection is for the account of the applicant/consumer. Installation of a reconditioned transformer may only be allowed if such a transformer passes the test conducted by the TSD. On the other hand, if the connection becomes permanent, the consumer must provide a (brand) new transformer; d. The temporary connection shall automatically expire after six (6) months and must be tagged as "DISCONNECTED" in the Billing System; e. ASD must pull out the kWh meter installed for Temporary connection once the contract expires; 2  f. Renewal of expired Temporary Connection Contract is strictly prohibited. Instead, the ASD shall advise the application for a new Temporary connection, thereby repeating the whole process; g. Application for new Temporary connection, with the previous contract, shall strictly undergo survey through the ASD to determine if the establishment is subject to permanent connection or otherwise; h. Installation of kWh meter for permanent connection purposes used from Temporary connection is strictly prohibited; i. The CWDO shall compute the applicant’s Deposit for the Temporary Connection Contract based on an estimate of one month of consumption according to the as-built load survey. Such deposits may be used to pay unpaid bills later on; 13. Application for a new connection with prerequisite 75kVa sole-use transformer must comply with the primary metering, charged to the consumer, while for all existing privately owned transformers, a multiplier shall continuously apply; a. For connections or accounts with less than 75kV sole-used transformer, the consumer must execute a mutual agreement with ORMECO, stating that the consumer shall cover the incurred losses; b. Classification of application: Industrial Classification: milling plant, fish pond, prawn pond, power plant, pumping plant, ice plant, dairy product plant, bakery, and similar production and manufacturing establishments with three-phase connection installed with a transformer Commercial Classification: shopping mall, department store, supermarket, hotel, lodge, resort, restaurant and dining, club, bar, and amusement facility, private school, arena, gasoline filling station, bank, private hospital, medical institution, machine shop, welding shop, pawnbroker, water station, commercial Warehouse, wholesale and retail store, and alike business-related establishments with three-phase connection installed with a transformer Residential Classification: Dwelling, dormitory, convent, monastery, and like establishments. Public Building Classification: Government-owned facility, church, public institution, and similar public use establishments. Street Light Classification: Metered street lighting facility and fixed charging (unmetered) automatic controlled street lighting facility. 14. All existing accounts for stalls and rental spaces shall be renamed or transferred to the respective establishment owners. The same procedure must apply to all existing LGU stalls/properties and public markets. Moreover, the following guidelines shall strictly apply: a. Upon agreement with the consumer/establishment owner, ASD shall install a mother meter for the following: i. Public and Private Commercial Stalls; ii. Private Hospitals; iii. Public and Private Markets; iv. Apartments; b. All apartment-type connections or accounts must be considered a residential type of account, named to the establishment owner; c. Generally, if the building is established for commercial purposes, the account is strictly considered a commercial type; d. If the establishment owner is unwilling to install a mother meter under the owner's name, the occupant applying for an electric connection must execute a Tripartite Agreement that in case of unsettled payment of power bill, the owner of such rental spaces and rooms shall shoulder the amount of the outstanding balance to ORMECO; e. If the establishment owner wants to apply a multi-dwelling meter under their name, follow the procedure: 3  i. The applicant will shoulder the transformer service factor (losses); ii. The establishment shall be considered a commercial in category; iii. They will be paying the cost of individual kilowatt-hour meters and other distribution assets; f. If the applicant is applying for a new connection with arrears from the previous owner/occupant, the building owner and the new occupant must agree on how the consumer shall settle the arrears. Otherwise, no connection shall proceed; g. Collection of payment for tenant deposit is strictly prohibited; 15. The Consumer requests for a kilowatt-hour meter test shall be prepared by the CWDO/Immediate Supervisor through a Service Memorandum for inspection by the maintenance / Lineman on duty. If the findings are: a. Defective on site: i. If Meter Reader finds the kWh meter is without display: i.a. The Meter Reader must report to the concerned District Office for the immediate meter change. Hence, item no. 15 shall apply; i.b. The Meter Reader should ask the consumer to temporarily disconnect the connection until the ASD or BMR has replaced the defective kWh meter or i.c. The Meter Reader may ask the consumer to sign a conformity letter for bill adjustment due to a defective kWh meter; ii. The kWh meter found defective on sight will be subject to outright replacement. The Lineman shall install the new kWh meter and submit the accomplished Service Memorandum to the Billing Section for appropriate action. He will also inform IC3 of the accomplishment of the service memorandum; iii. The Lineman shall immediately surrender the defective kWh meter to the Warehouse Section through their District Chief or Foreman; iv. For big-load consumers, the consumer shall cover the expenses for replacing defective kWh meters. If the consumer has an available kWh meter, the consumer may opt to use this as a replacement, subject to meter testing. If there is an available kWh meter from ORMECO, the consumer may pay for the amount of the kWh meter. If there is no available kWh meter both from the consumer and from ORMECO, the consumer should sign a conformity letter that there will be an adjustment on the billing upon installation of a new kWh meter; b. Defective upon testing: i. The kWh meter is subject to testing; ii. The kWh meter is subject to being pulled out and replaced temporarily. Inform the consumer of the inspection findings; iii. The consumer may opt to visit the District Office iii.a. to witness the actual calibration test at the Main Office or iii.b. to authorize the District Supervisor to act on his/her behalf through an agreement; iv. The concerned District Supervisor, upon authorization, shall bring the kWh meter to the Main Office for the actual testing; v. The calibrator shall make a report containing the following to be approved by the Metering Officer and Special Equipment Section Head. If the report recommends replacement, the TSD Manager shall approve: iv.a. test result; iv.b. evaluation; iv.c. recommendation; vi. The Metering Section shall submit the meter test report to the concerned District Supervisor for coordination with the consumer; vii. Through a Service Memorandum with a test report, the Lineman on duty shall present to the consumer the details of the replacement of the meter for the signature of conformity; 4  viii. After that, the ASD shall pull out the replacement meter, and the ASD shall reinstall the new kWh meter subjected to calibration; ix. The Lineman shall submit the accomplished Service Memorandum, attached with the conformity letter, to the Billing Section for appropriate action; x. The District Supervisor shall surrender the temporary replacement kWh meter to the Warehouse for appropriate action; c. For calibration: i. The kWh meter is subject to pulling out, and the ASD shall install a temporary replacement. The Lineman on duty shall explain the inspection findings to the consumer. ii. The consumer may opt to visit the District Office ii.a. to witness the actual calibration test at the Main Officer or ii.b. to authorize the District Supervisor to act on his/her behalf through an agreement; iii. The concerned District Supervisor, upon authorization, shall bring the kWh meter to the Main Office for the actual calibration; iv. The calibrator shall make a report containing the following to be approved by the Metering Officer and Special Equipment Section Head. If the report recommends adjustment, the TSD Manager shall approve: iv.a. test result; iv.b. evaluation; iv.c. recommendation; v. The meter test report will be submitted to the concerned District Supervisor for coordination with the consumer to pay charges; vi. Upon payment, through a Service Memorandum containing the official receipt number as proof of payment, the Lineman on duty shall present to the consumer the consumption of the replacement meter, which will be considered as the permanent kWh meter, for the signature of conformity; vii. The Lineman shall submit the accomplished Service Memorandum, attached with the conformity letter, to the Billing Section for appropriate action; 16. A meter base shall be issued to the applicant for proper installation before the issuance of kWh meters; 17. In case of a burnt kWh meter due to possible causes: a. Overloaded due to expansion; i. Replace the kWh meter at once with a higher rating; ii. Require the consumer to pay an inspection fee, connection fee, and metering fee; iii. Require the consumer to submit an as-built electrical plan within ten days; iv. Subject for load survey by District Supervisor; v. Failure to comply with the requirements shall require payment from the consumer, to be computed based on the possible damage incurred; b. Overloaded due to temporary increase of load (welding, additional motor); i. Replace the kWh meter at once with the same rating; ii. Require the consumer to pay an inspection fee, connection fee, and metering fee; iii. Subject for load survey by District Supervisor; iv. Failure to comply with the requirements shall require payment from the consumer, to be computed based on the possible damage incurred; c. Fire accident; i. Replace the kWh meter at once with the same rating; 18. To monitor possible overloading, the Billing Section shall monitor significant changes in consumer consumption quarterly and recommend appropriate action to ASD; 5  a. If the findings are subject to uprating, require payment from the consumer for a metering fee; b. If the consumer voluntarily requests for uprating due to its additional load, the same payment shall apply or shoulder the necessary cost of uprating; 19. All Promissory Notes applied for by MCOs can be approved by selected personnel according to the following schedule: Approving Authority Amount Payment Duration District Supervisor PhP 10,000 and below up to 3 months Department Manager PhP 10,000 to PhP 30,000 from 3 months to 5 months General Manager More than PhP 30,000 more than 5 months B. Institutional Services Department ISSUANCE OF PROMISSORY NOTE) 20. Issuance of the promissory note shall only be within the first day of issuance of the Statement of the account until the end of the 48-hour extension. 21. The amount to be paid must be equal to or greater than the amount due for the month (which includes the current bill amount and the amount of the promissory note due for the month). Any excess amount that the consumer pays shall be deducted from the remaining outstanding power bill. 22. The meter Reader Dispatcher/ASD Foreman shall post the scheduled disconnection route to the portal on the day of the disconnection. 23. There shall be no issuance of promissory notes during the disconnection schedule. PROCESS OF PULL-OUT METER: 24. The Billing and Meter Reading Division (BMRD) will generate a Monthly Report of Consumer Accounts Subject to the KWH Meter, which shall be submitted to the Consumer Accounts Division (CAD) for verification and recommendation. 25. Verified Accounts of The said report shall be attached to the Service Memo. Then, forward the report to CAD to verify the account, and they will recommend a pull-out. The audit shall note all pull-out meters (clearance), and then the area will conduct the actual pull-out of the meter. 26. The BMRD Supervisor shall be responsible for creating a Service Memo for kWh meters to be pulled out, which shall be endorsed to the ASD for the conduct of inspection and pull-out of the meter. 27. The lead man shall record the retired kWh meter reading of the pulled-out meter and submit it to BMRD. 28. The Leadman shall submit the report of all pulled-out meters to the District Supervisor. 29. A summary Report of all pulled-out meters shall be submitted by the District Supervisor and noted by the Department Head to the General Manager. Copies of the report shall be furnished to CAD, IAD, Warehouse, and MSD. 30. The BMR Section Head shall post the retired meter reading to the Billing System. 31. The district supervisor shall surrender all pulled-out meters to the Warehouse Section for the purpose of issuing a Material Return Ticket (MRT). 32. The MSD shall ensure that all member-consumer-owners included in the pulled-out meter are verified if there is an existing account and membership; otherwise, the Membership Data Specialist shall submit to the Board of Directors the list of MCOs to be removed from the Membership Database. 33. All pulled-out meters with outstanding obligations shall be removed from the Current Billing System and stored in a separate database for Consumer Accounts Receivable (CAR) subject to collection. 6  34. All new connection applications shall be verified if the property or its location was tagged with a pulled-out meter and outstanding obligation or arrearages by the CWDO. UNBILLED CONSUMER 35. If the BMR Section Head proves the consumer's complaint that it is our fault that the consumer did not pay immediately because the meter was not read and billed for the past month, the surcharge and service fee shall be waived. 36. The ISD Manager shall approve waiving the surcharge as per the recommendation of the District Supervisor. COMPUTATION OF ADJUSTMENT OF THE BILL FOR THE UNBILLED METER 37. Unbilled residential consumers, for justifiable reasons, shall not be charged with a penalty/surcharge or service fees incurred. 38. The unbilled consumer must present to the CWDO a Barangay/Owner/ Neighbor’s Certification under oath indicating why they are not billed. 39. The BMR Section Head shall adjust the power bill to match the corresponding service memo. CALIBRATION OF METER 40. The TSD, with the assistance of the ERC personnel, shall conduct a random annual in-service testing charge for ORMECO. 41. Consumer requests for calibration shall be charged a service fee for pull-out and re-installation of the kWh meter. 42. Consumer Requests for (New connection) meter testing shall pay the corresponding service fee. CONSUMER REQUESTS FOR PERMANENT/TEMPORARY DISCONNECTION 43. All consumer requests for pulled-out and disconnected meters shall have corresponding service fees. CHANGE METER 44. The Meter Readers shall submit reports of defective meters to their immediate supervisor. 45. The Dispatcher shall submit to the BMR Section Head the summary of defective meters and request that new kWh meters be installed as replacements. 46. The BMR Section Head shall create service memos for change meters. 47. The Meter Reader shall be responsible for replacing defective meters and shall endorse to the Billing Data Analyst to prepare reports of meters to be salvaged. 48. The BMRD Supervisor shall submit a Summary Report of Defective Meters Replaced duly verified by the BMR Section Head to the Warehouse Section, along with the pulled-out defective meters, for the issuance of a Material Return Ticket. COLLECTION 49. The District Supervisor and the Financial Specialist have shared responsibility and accountability for the Daily Collection and deposits. 50. The FSD Manager shall ensure that the Daily Cash Position Report (DCPR) is submitted to the General Manager for monitoring and control. 51. The FSD and ASD Managers shall be responsible for providing vaults to the Main/District Offices to ensure the safekeeping of collections. 52. All past due accounts must appear as "DISCONNECTED" in the Billing System. Hence, the charging of the Service Fee; 53. All past-due accounts for over one (1) month are strictly prohibited. Past-due accounts may only appear as "ACTIVE" if the General Manager approves a promissory note. 54. All accounts pending for promissory notes shall be removed from the List of the Disconnection Schedule; 7 55. The CAD is solely responsible for processing all requests for promissory notes of big loads consumer accounts (LGU, schools, commercial, & industrial); 56. The District Offices are responsible for processing all requests for promissory notes of all residential consumers; 57. All past-due Statement of Accounts (SOA) shall indicate the "TOTAL AMOUNT DUE," which shall include the current amount due and the outstanding balance due; 58. All active consumer accounts in the system, but with arrears and continuous reading, must be considered as FAULT of the disconnector for failing to disconnect on time and shall be subject to disciplinary action, accordingly; 59. All consumer accounts subject to disconnection must be disconnected within one billing period during Tuesdays to Thursdays only, where: a. 8am to 9am – travel to disconnection route; b. 9am to 3pm – disconnection activities; c. 3pm to 4pm – travel to office; d. 4pm to 5pm – preparation of the report; 60. All consumer accounts subject to reconnection must be done within 24 hours upon payment; 61. If the 48 hours deadline falls on Friday, the actual disconnection shall be made on Tuesday but shall already be tagged as “disconnected” in the system; 62. There shall be no 48 hours deadline that will fall on weekends and holidays; 63. All collection at the Main Office and District Offices shall be done from Mondays through Fridays only; 64. In case of a zero (0) reading but with an occupant or defective meter, the meter reader shall implement an average reading based on the 3-month consumption of the kWh meter. Then, within a month or before the next billing period, such a defective kWh meter is subject to replacement. 65. The Meter Reader shall not bill the consumer for a new connection where the kWh meter is uninstalled. Instead, the Meter Reader shall report such a new connection as unbilled. For this purpose, meter readers must prepare an Incident report. 66. Meter readers shall replace all previously reported defective meters, and ASD shall appropriately endorse those who need assistance from linemen. 67. Meter readers shall report Kilo-watt hour (kWh) meters not installed according to standard location or height to ASD for relocation. CWDO shall issue the necessary service memo. 68. The committee shall verify whether big loads consumers in the unbilled list are still active or disconnected. 69. The Billing and Meter Reading Section shall sanitize unbilled consumers and appropriately coordinate with the ICT. 70. Meter readers must indicate remarks that shall be the basis for the sanitation of unbilled consumers, including accounts without comment. 71. A notice shall be sent to the meter reader and dispatcher to explain if a consumer is unbilled for no justifiable reason. 72. Dispatchers and team leaders shall be responsible for monitoring the accomplishments of the meter readers. 73. Disconnected accounts for more than six months shall be reported/endorsed to ASD for removal of the kWh meter. 74. After the downpayment, all apprehended consumers’ payments may be settled through a promissory note to be issued by the Consumer Accounts Division (CAD), subject to the approval of the GM (more than 30k); 75. The SOTG Committee must submit a monthly summary report to the GM; 76. To ensure maximum productivity, HR personnel shall implement the following: a. Fifteen Minutes late is equivalent to tardiness; b. More than fifteen minutes late is considered half-day; c. Regular work is 8am-5pm Monday through Friday; d. Shifting work schedule is the following: 8  i. Morning Shift is 6am-2pm; ii. Afternoon Shift 2pm-10pm; iii. Graveyard Shift is 10pm-6am; e. All personnel with shifting work schedules are permitted to change their schedules as needed, subject to the approval of their immediate superior. f. The maximum length of continuous duty is 16 hours. g. Travel Order Form is only allowed for official business within the Province; the concerned employee must log out and in at the biometrics before and after the official business; h. Employees caught without a Travel Order Form outside the premises of ORMECO must be held liable and considered AWOL; i. Travel Order document allows official business travels outside the Province of Oriental Mindoro; j. Travel Order Form must be signed by the office or personnel subject to the travel; k. Employees who will leave the office premises from 12nn-1pm must secure a signed Travel Order Form and log out and in from the biometrics, but no certificate of appearance is required. Failure to return at 1pm is considered absent; 77. On Daily Time Records (DTR) and biometrics: a. Biometrics is restricted to the employee's assignment; b. District/Division Supervisors must log in/out in the biometrics but shall enjoy the privilege of flexible hours provided that he/she must render 8-hour duty. c. Department Heads must log in/out using the ORMECO Portal and enjoy flexible hours; however, the 8-hour duty must be rendered. The concerned department heads will not be able to log out if there are any pending concerns for approval in the ORMECO Portal. d. The department managers' Daily Time Records (DTR) must be received by HRD every first week of the month preceding the payroll cutoff. (For example, the DTR for January must be received by HRD on the first week of February.) e. The DTR/Biometrics of the Substations and District Offices personnel, which are still not accessible due to interconnectivity problems, must be sent via email to the HRD on the next working day after the cut-off. (For example, the DTR for January 1-15 must be received on the 16th of January or on the next working day after January 15, and the DTR for January 16-31 must be received on the 1st day of February or on the next working day after January 31). f. Attachments to the DTR, such as certifications, leave forms, and travel order forms, must be submitted to the HRD on the next working day after the cut-off. (For example, the attachments for the DTR covering January 1-15 must be received on the 16th of January or on the next working day after January 15 until January 20, and the attachments for the DTR covering January 16-31 must be received on the 1st day of February or on the next working day after January 31 until February 5). 78. On schedules, forced leaves, and overtime authorizations: a. Overtime authorizations and travel passes, when prepared by the department head, shall be automatically approved even without the recommendation of the immediate supervisor of the employees concerned. b. All employees must submit their respective schedules of forced leave for the whole year. Forced leave comprises seven and a half days (7.5) with pay but is not convertible to cash. Submission of which is required to be done on or before the end of January each year and shall be encoded in the ORMECO Portal. All employees cannot file forced leave before, during, or after Christmas. c. The Department Secretary must submit the monthly work schedule of personnel of all departments to the Human Resource Division (HRD) copy furnished by the Payroll Officer every end of the month before the schedule is consumed. (For example, the schedule for February must be submitted on the 30th or 31st of January). The HRD shall issue a Notice to Explain to the concerned Department/Supervisor for non-compliance with this procedure. 9  d. Employees may schedule Forced Leaves seven days ahead to prioritize the consumption of the FL over the Vacation Leave. e. Immediate Superior must manage any cancellation of forced leaves based on valid reason. 79. Retain Php 2,500.00 per payday on the basic pay. 80. Release overtime as approved. 81. Secure concurrence and signature from the concerned employee for other deductions ℅ HR 82. power bill (prioritize for deduction). 83. If the employee’s payroll is insufficient to cover payment for loans from PagIbig and SSS, the employer shall cover the employee's payroll subject to deduction within the year. 84. The Department Manager shall be responsible for segregating the term of employment (3 years above, and then a 10% increment per year of service) of employees for the computation of basic pay, excluding the management trainee project employment. 85. On promotions and acting capacities following the realignment/reorganization: a. Employees applying for promotion shall take a test on the latest Office Procedures and Manual of Approval of ORMECO, Inc. before the interview. Applicants with an average score of 80% will undergo the interview, which will be conducted by the Hiring and Evaluation Committee (HEC). b. Employees promoted to a particular position must undergo a minimum of one (1) month probationary period up to a maximum of six (6) months. The term of effectivity of their permanent appointment will depend on the recommendation of their respective Department Head based on their performance evaluation. c. Employees acting under an office order for at least three (3) to six (6) months or more for a particular position shall become permanent in the same position once it becomes vacant and upon the recommendation of the Department Head. d. Employees acting in a divisional capacity shall receive allowances such as representation, load allowances, and other allowances under approved Board Resolution No. 23-069 dated 14 March 2023. 86. On ORMECO Portal: a. The Section Head and District Division Supervisor shall prepare the employee's regular work schedule, which must be encoded in the system within the last week of the month preceding the scheduled period to be approved by the Department Manager using the ORMECO portal. A notification for non-submission, which will serve as a reminder, shall be received at the dashboard portal on the last day of the month for their immediate compliance. b. Changes in work schedules will not be allowed once the schedule is submitted to the ORMECO Portal. c. The Department Heads shall review the summary of payroll deduction, which the Human Resources Division will submit through the ORMECO Portal. If the department heads fail to review and approve the summary within the payroll cut-off, the same shall remain valid for payroll deduction. Nevertheless, the department head shall be given a grace period of fifteen (15) days for the unreviewed summary of deductions to conduct a review. Otherwise, salary adjustment will not be allowed. d. All Office Orders related to routine activities, such as Bayanihan, engineering and survey works, etc., will be processed and approved through the ORMECO Dashboard Portal; e. All scheduled or emergency power interruptions will follow the streamlined process of approval through the ORMECO Dashboard Portal; f. All HR Forms, including assignment transfers, overtime authorization, and hiring requests, will be integrated into the Human Resource Management System, ensuring compliance with the procedures outlined in the Manual of Approvals; g. Suppose an employee is officially requested to report for duty despite the approved leave of absence or off-duty schedule. In that case, the employee may choose whether the following day is subject to overtime or a work schedule change. Nevertheless, any 10  changes shall be recommended by the Immediate Superior subject to the approval of the Department Manager. h. IC3 may recommend overtime, as noted by the immediate superior, and vice versa. Still, no overtime must be approved without prior recommendation from either. 87. On salary and other wages: a. District/Division Supervisors and Department Heads are not entitled to Overtime Pay. b. The deductions and adjustments of permanent and non-permanent employees must be submitted to FSD-Payroll on the 12th and 27th of each month. If the deadline falls on weekends or holidays, they must be submitted on the 10th and 25th of each month. c. Pay for overtime shall be based on the actual hours of the activity. A biometric time log is required for scheduled overtime. Suppose the overtime is on call during emergency cases. In that case, the overtime authorization with the attached DTR signed by the Immediate Supervisor and Department Manager must be filed immediately on the next working day after the conduct of overtime. d. The payment of the night differential (10 P.M. to 6:00 A.M.) for those employees who rendered night duty must be automatically added to the corresponding payroll cut-off. If an employee is given the night differential despite an application for change duty, an adjustment/deduction can be made in the next payroll cut-off. 88. On recruitment, selection, placement, and offboarding of employees: a. The salary of Rank 16 less 10% shall be given to the newly hired CPA as Management Trainees (with available plantilla position of Section Head), with two (2) or more than two (2) years of working experience in the related field. b. The salary of Rank 13 less 10% shall be given to the newly hired Management Trainees without working experience in the related field (with available plantilla position of Section Head). The same shall undergo apprenticeship for three (3) months up to a maximum of five (5) months. The immediate superior shall then recommend if the said trainees are qualified to undergo the probationary for three (3) months to a maximum of six (6) months. After that, the immediate superior shall also recommend the permanency or the termination based on performance evaluation, which will be attached to its recommendation. c. For hiring project employees who function in the following positions, the concerned department must submit the hiring recommendation, which shall be for the approval of the General Manager. Their recommendation shall indicate the duties and responsibilities, along with the recommendation of their compensation. The HR shall conduct the job pricing based on the submitted job description. The following salary shall be applied according to the functions based on the result of job pricing: Project Engineers with experience – Less than 10% based on Rank 12 Project Engineers without experience – Less than 10% based on Rank 10 Technical Staff – Less than 10% based on Rank 8 Lineman – Less than 10% based on Rank 8 Meter Reader – Less than 10% based on Rank 7 Substation Tender with experience – Less than 10% based on Rank 7 Office Staff with related experience – Less than 10% based on Rank 7 d. The rank-and-file project employees shall be under a 3-month employment contract, which is extendable to a maximum of five (5) months and automatically terminated afterward. The said project employee may apply to other projects with different functions from their recently terminated project employment or to any vacant plantilla position, provided the employee’s existing contract with the coop is fulfilled or terminated. e. After one year of employment, the minimum salary, which is an entry salary for project employees who function in the following positions, can be adjusted to the corresponding wages based on the recommendation and performance evaluation: Clerical Staff/Encoders – Less than 10% based on Rank 7 Driver – Less than 10% based on Rank 6 11  Utility/Maintenance – Less than 10% based on Rank 4 f. The last cut-off salary of terminated/resigned employees may only be claimed upon obtaining clearance, and HR shall issue a Certificate of Employment (COE) indicating the duration of employment. 89. If the Meter Reader detects any discrepancies or significant fluctuations upon reading, refrain from issuing the Statement of Account. Instead, notify the need for calibration or replacement of the meter and report the last reading to the Billing and Meter Reading Section. However, payment is required if the consumer intends or requests to calibrate the meter. C. Technical Services Department 90. Installation of a reconditioned transformer for the new connection is strictly prohibited; 91. Installation of a reconditioned transformer is allowable only as a replacement of a defective sole-used transformer, subject to approval from the Technical Services Department (TSD); 92. All distribution transformers for testing are subject to endorsement before the Warehouse Section for proper recording, attached with the following documents: a. Consumer name and other details; b. Photocopy of Official Receipt or Sales Invoice of Purchase; c. Warranty; 93. The warehouse Section shall facilitate the endorsement of the transformer for testing; 94. TSD Special Equipment Section must submit the transformer result to the TSD Manager for approval, duly noted by the General Manager, before the Warehouse Section's issuance or release; 95. All transformer banking and disbanking activities must have a corresponding Service Memorandum, which shall only be done by the TSD personnel assigned to ASD, with assistance from District Office maintenance personnel, if necessary; a. The consumer must shoulder the delivery of a sole-used transformer; b. No sole-used transformer banking during weekends. All weekends are dedicated to power interruption activities; 96. All transformer banking and disbanking activities are a priority of the TSD in the area. Second to this is the line maintenance work such as clearing, upgrading, uprating, construction, relocation, and rehabilitation, among others; 97. The consumer shall cover hauling and transportation expenses of sole-used transformers during on-site testing; 98. No transformer banking, except for emergency cases, during Saturdays and Sundays. Weekends are dedicated to activities with a power interruption schedule; 99. Offsetting or refunding of payment for all line hardware and materials utilized for consumer accounts with sole-used transformer/s is strictly prohibited. Such line hardware and materials shall be donated, as provided for in items 28 & 29; 100. Under CPD's program (Project Spider Web Phase 3), a composite team, an Integrated Control and Command Center or IC3, shall be formed. Further, the takeover of TransCo to the System Operation will limit the function of the existing ORMECO system operation team. Therefore, the following realignment shall be implemented to form a distribution system operation, fault, and personnel management dispatch. a. The IC3 shall be composed of: i. Helpline Personnel; ii. Distribution Dispatch Officer; iii. Fault and Personnel Dispatch Officer; iv. Shift Manager; b. Responsibilities: i. Helpline Personnel: 12  1. 24/7 operation to cater to inbound inquiries, complaints, and other information needed for dissemination and action; 2. Creation of service memo or fault ticket for every complaint or inquiry received via telephone or Facebook; 3. Closing of service memo after verifying to the consumer that the complaint has been resolved; 4. The maintenance or recipient of the service memo must clear the service memo ticket or fault ticket. Meaning it has been attended to and resolved; 5. In case of inquiry that requires escalation to other department/s, they will create a service memo to be forwarded to the respective department and ensure the tracing and update the consumer; 6. The helpline Personnel must update posts on the official social media page of ORMECO regarding causes and updates of unscheduled power interruptions; 7. Shall receive information of scheduled power interruptions and other activities three days from implementation for proper dissemination; 8. In case of emergency or unscheduled power interruptions, must ensure text blast is sent to targeted MCOs for information and updates; 9. Proper turnover shall always be strictly observed for every shift; ii. Distribution Dispatch Officer: 1. In charge of the operation of the sub-transmission / distribution of ORMECO Grid; 2. Ensure that inbound and outbound facilities of ORMECO are appropriately monitored and stable; 3. Ensure that substation tenders are informed, well-instructed, and coordinated; 4. All data must be available and recorded anytime; 5. Ensure the safety of the working personnel at/and the grid; 6. Must update grid status and forecast in an hourly manner; iii. Fault and Personnel Dispatch Officer: 1. Must ensure that maintenance personnel are appropriately dispatched to the respective service memo or fault tickets; 2. Ensure that all faults are acted upon; 3. Must coordinate with other areas and departments in case of personnel augmentation; 4. Must implement "nearest to the site" dispatch; 5. Must monitor the whereabouts and the status of the maintenance; 6. Must maintain the line of communication with the field personnel; 7. Must ensure maximum productivity of personnel operation in the field, particularly travel time, response time, route, quality of work, etc.; 8. Must ensure correctness and availability of data; iv. Shift Manager: 1. Overall in charge of the Cooperative operation during the shift, particularly to IC3 operation; 2. Must ensure availability, reliability, quality, and sufficiency of power; 3. Must ensure availability and productivity of personnel, correctness, and availability of data; 4. Shall be responsible for whatever outcome, particularly engineering analysis and solutions to the significant incidents and proper escalation and dissemination happened during the trouble; 5. Must supervise proper information dissemination and responses by Helpline Personnel at the official social media page of ORMECO; 13 101. IC3 SM to be accomplished report per shift: a. Daily accomplishments: i. Helpline calls received; ii. Trouble; iii. Inquiry; & iv. Others. b. Trouble ticket created vs Trouble cleared and closed; c. A trouble ticket was created and is still for clearing and status; d. Plant status forecasted daily, day ahead, & hour ahead; e. Feeders status; f. Scheduled activities status; g. Emergency activities status; h. Cartrack alarms and abnormal activities of all vehicles and the monitoring; i. Daily Activity Summary per District: i. New connection; ii. Disconnection; iii. Reconnection; iv. Change meter; & v. Other activities needed attention and action. j. Indicate the disconnection list at the start of the report, then deduct all reconnection activities per shift to monitor actual accomplishment per shift; k. Item 38.j. shall also apply to change meter activities; l. Indication of all pending activities is vital per shift report; m. All activities must have a cut-off every month; 102. SM is also responsible for the needed strategy on the matter of SAIDI/SAIFi performance during the shift; 103. Coordination with different Department Heads and signing of documents needed during non-office hours and holidays; 104. SM has to report calls of untoward incidents and action taken to resolve the problem; 105. His co-primary concerns are efficient Personnel dispatch and proper fault management handling, vehicle rationalization, and supply sufficiency, including load dispatching. Proper management means efficient, sufficient, and safe; 106. Include the daily fuel consumption of vehicles and the distance traveled by each car. 107. Changed meter/s must be reported to Billing for system update daily; 108. All system-invasive activities must be reported to IC3 for clearance; if it is said all, it means all; 109. All out-of-route or travel vehicles shall also be reported to IC3 before proceeding. 110. District leadman and/or foreman shall report his daily activities and accomplishments to IC3 before the end of the shift, including TSD personnel activities; 111. SM shall be responsible for the creation of the report to be submitted and endorsed to the next shift for his subsequent handling and action; 112. All localized complaints lodged through District Offices shall be encoded in the MCSW system subject to IC3 dispatch. A copy can be printed at the District Offices for reference purposes only; 113. The warehouse is responsible for assessing availability and maintaining a 10% stock level. 114. The CPD should recommend procurement planning for the upcoming year based on the comparison with the current year's consumption. If there is no significant increase, the inventory should remain at the status quo as determined by OGM-Warehouse. 115. The ASD must ensure proper planning and inventory management to prevent overstocking. 14 D. Finance Services Department 116. For updating the guidelines for granting, utilization, and liquidation of cash advance for official travel, see references from NEA MEMO 2023-030 DATED 30 JUNE 2023 below: 117. For updating the guidelines for liquidation of cash advances for official travel; a. The accountable employee/officer shall liquidate his/her cash advance within ten (10) days as soon as the purpose for which it was given has been served. Failure to liquidate his/her cash advance within the prescribed period shall result in the issuance of a memorandum to explain and/or be subjected to disciplinary actions; b. Checklist of documentary requirements to support the liquidation: The employee/officer shall attach this checklist upon submitting the Liquidation Report to the General Accounting & Budget Division. Before attaching the liquidation report, the employee/officer must copy all thermal receipts. c. All supporting documents shall be original copies. A certification or affidavit of loss signed by the relevant official or employee is unacceptable as a substitute for the necessary transportation tickets. Furthermore, ORMECO, Inc. must appear as the payee on all sales invoices and official receipts. Additionally, the issuer must countersign any instances in which the supporting documents have been erased; d. Advance electronic copies of Certification (Appearance/Participation) are permitted as long as they are transmitted through the official e-mail address of the organization that hosted the seminar, workshop, or meetings; 118. The fund managers should approve the loans applied for by employees from the ORTF if and only if the debtor's net pay is at least PhP 2,500. E. Office of the General Manager / Administrative Department 119. Power Line Work Permit System (PLWP System) Manual is now adopted into; a. PURPOSE. The Power Line Work Permit System (PLWP System) Manual aims to ensure the safety of employees and/or outsourced personnel working on or near power lines. This system is designed to prevent accidents and reduce the risk of injury by requiring all work to be approved through a formal permit process. This manual outlines the procedures for obtaining a permit and the responsibilities of all personnel involved; b. SCOPE. The PLWP System covers all tasks performed on or near ORMECO Inc.’s distribution lines, substations, special equipment, and transmission lines as necessary. This manual does not cover the concerned departments’ activity planning processes, 15  which must be a prerequisite of this permitting system. The scope of this manual shall be subject to constant review and improvement concerning possible changes in the distribution system, work environment, processes, tools, and equipment; c. DEFINITIONS. i. Power Line: A conductor or system of conductors for the transmission or distribution of electricity. ii. Team Leader: A qualified and competent person with the authority to approve and deny the work permit. iii. Authorized Worker: A qualified personnel authorized by the permit to perform specific tasks associated with power line work. iv. Supervisor: A person responsible for ensuring that work is performed safely and per the permit requirements. v. Work: Any job/ task performed on or near a power line vi. Work Area: The area where the work is being performed, including the area under and around the power lines. d. PERMIT PROCESSES. This permitting system must be implemented through thorough and systematic planning by concerned departments, encompassing both the activity's technicalities and the workers' safety in the tasks' performance. Before any work on or near power lines, as determined in this Manual, a Power Line Work Permit must be obtained and follow a standard process flow and shall be issued by a qualified team leader. The following information must be included on the permit: i. JOB AND WORKER INFORMATION 1. Job Description 2. Job Order No./ Service Memo No. 3. Job Category 4. Job Location 5. Date 6. Time 7. Person-in-Charge 8. Workers Involved 9. Personal Protective Equipment ii. WORKING CONDITIONS 1. Working Environment 2. Safety Device/ Equipment iii. POWER ISOLATION/ CLEARANCE 1. Isolation Location/Equipment 2. Personnel to Isolate 3. Personnel to Restore iv. CONFIRMATION AND AUTHORIZATION v. POST-JOB ACTIVITY vi. OTHER REMARKS e. All authorized workers must be informed of the hazards associated with the work and the precautions to prevent accidents. They must also sign the Power Line Work Permit to convey an understanding of and confirm compliance with the permit requirements. f. The work must only commence upon the approval of the Power Line Work Permit, and all personnel involved have been informed of the hazards and precautions associated with the work. g. For work that may last for at least two (2) workdays, the Supervisor must periodically review the work site to ensure that the work is being performed safely and following the permit requirements. If any changes are made to the work or the work site conditions change, a new Power Line Work Permit must be obtained. h. The concerned section must keep the Power Line Work Permit on file for at least one year after completion. 16  i. RESPONSIBILITIES. The Department Manager is responsible for approving permits for significant activities, especially for large-scale activities in work tasks, workforce, and intensity of work; monitoring work, coordinating with other departments, ensuring compliance, and being informed of all work permits being carried out. The Department Manager is also responsible for authorizing tasks under Job Category C. The Supervisor ensures that work is carried out safely and efficiently in a work permit system. They are responsible for authorizing work performance and issuing permits for significant activities, conducting safety briefings, monitoring work, coordinating with other departments, ensuring compliance, and closing out permits. He/she is responsible for authorizing tasks under Job Category B. He/she shall also ensure all workers' compliance with this permitting system. The Foreman (or Leadman in his absence) ensures that work is carried out safely and efficiently in a work permit system. They are responsible for issuing permits, conducting safety briefings, monitoring work, coordinating with other departments, ensuring compliance, and closing out permits. They are accountable for authorizing tasks under Job Category A. The Authorized Persons are responsible for signing the Power Line Work Permit to indicate that they understand and will comply with the permit requirements and for performing assigned tasks efficiently and safely within the permit coverage. j. EFFECTIVITY. This system shall take effect upon the approval of the ORMECO, Inc. management or in any other manner provided by law unless otherwise specified. Any provision in conflict with this policy shall be deemed superseded or modified accordingly. The Safety Officers, the Department supervising the Safety Unit, and the OSH Committee shall monitor the implementation of this policy. They may make adjustments or amendments as needed to ensure its continued effectiveness. 120. Standard Operating Procedure and Policy on Personal Protective Equipment: a. Upon availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), the warehouse personnel shall issue “ISSUANCE SLIP” to the requisitioner; b. The requisitioner must go directly to the Safety Officer for the checking and verification. However, if the requested PPE is for replacement, the requisitioner must surrender the worn-out PPE to the warehouse; c. After signing the issuance slip, the Warehouse shall issue the PPE based on the slip approved by the Safety Officer and prepare a Material Returned Ticket for the returned defective PPE; d. All Protective Personal Equipment (PPE) is NOT ACCOUNTABILITY; e. Only the SAFETY OFFICER will receive the total delivered PPEs based on the Receiving Report (RR) through Warehouse Issued Voucher (WIV) for documentation; f. Only DIVISION SUPERVISORS, DISTRICT SUPERVISORS, SECTION HEADS, OFFICERS, FOREMAN, LEADMAN, or their immediate superior may request and receive the PPE from the warehouse in the absence of the Requisitioner; g. The warehouse shall inform all the departments & district offices weekly through email regarding the actual stock of PPE. (ITEMIZED AND PER SIZES); h. The requisitioner must return the defective PPEs before requesting a replacement; i. Issuance Slips signed by the Requisitioner, Safety Officer, Immediate Superior, MIC-General Manager, and Material Management Section Head must be encoded and properly filed. (FOR DOCUMENTATION AND EMERGENCY PURPOSES.); & j. Not wearing issued Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the performance of duty is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. 17  121. The Office of the General Manager shall prepare requests and issue vouchers (RIVs) corresponding to Job Orders issued by the Motorpool Section. Furthermore, the OGM shall maintain regular stocks of fast-moving equipment, e.g., energy meters and transformers; thus, RIVs for this purpose shall also be prepared by the OGM. F. Corporate Planning Department 122. All requests for survey and cost estimate for connection of their existing/non-existing establishment, line extension, replacement/transfer/removal of pole, electrical line extension, etc., for budget purposes only, shall secure the following: a. All requests must have a SERVICE MEMO prepared by the District CWDO or IC3. i. The District CWDO shall adequately inform the requisitioner/consumer of the following: 1. Checklist of the requirements based on their request; 2. For planned subdivision, approved HLURB is required; ii. Survey fee of Php 5,000.00, exclusive of VAT, for the first three poles to be paid ahead of the survey; 1. If more than three poles are recommended after the survey, an additional fee of Php 250.00, exclusive of VAT, per pole shall be added to the total cost estimate; iii. All approved cost estimates are valid only for the applied year unless there are improvements in the area that require a new survey; iv. In case the consumer requests for an updated cost estimate within the applied year and does not require a new survey and the attachments remain, the payment for the service fee amounting to Php 1,500.00 exclusive of VAT shall be paid; b. When required payment is secured, the ASD shall forward the SERVICE MEMO together with the attachments to CPD; c. The CPD shall receive and evaluate the completeness of the requirements. d. The CPD shall schedule for survey and update the Service Memo Database for monitoring purposes; e. After the conduct of the survey, the CPD shall prepare the staking sheet and cost estimate and update the Service Memo Database for monitoring purposes; f. The CPD shall forward the GM’s approved cost estimate to the implementing office (ASD) for appropriate action. g. ASD shall inform the consumer of the progress of their request. If additional payment is required, ASD shall secure payment first before the release of the official cost estimate; 123. All requests for survey and cost estimates for new connections, line extension, replacement/transfer/removal of poles, electrical line extension, etc. shall secure the following: a. All requests must have a SERVICE MEMO prepared by the District CWDO or IC3. i. The District CWDO shall adequately inform the requisitioner/consumer of the following: 1. Checklist of the requirements based on their request; a. Letter of Intent or LGU Resolution; b. Signed Road Right of Way Form; c. Photocopy of Land Title for the Road Right of Way; d. Photocopy of one (1) government-issued ID of the land owner of Road Right of Way Title; e. Photocopy of one (1) government-issued ID of the consumer (account owner of kWh meter or authorized representative for private organization and government agency); 18  f. For authorized representatives, duly notarized Special Power of Attorney / Sworn Statement / Secretary’s Certificate / Appointment is required; g. Approved Electrical Plan; h. For planned subdivision, approved HLURB is required; ii. ASD shall forward the SERVICE MEMO together with the attachments to CPD; iii. The CPD shall receive and evaluate the completeness of the requirements. iv. The CPD shall schedule for survey and update the Service Memo Database for monitoring purposes; v. After the conduct of the survey, the CPD shall prepare the staking sheet and cost estimate and update the Service Memo Database for monitoring purposes; vi. The CPD shall forward the GM’s approved cost estimate to the implementing office (ASD/TSD) for appropriate action. vii. ASD/TSD shall inform the consumer of the progress of their request. viii. ASD shall update the Service Memo Database for the payment of the requisitioner/consumer as stated in the cost estimate; ix. The implementing office (ASD/TSD) shall update the Service Memo Database on the progress of the activity. b. For request that requires Transformer Recommendation: i. ASD shall submit the request with the attached documents for Transformer recommendation to CPD. A copy of the blueprint electrical plan Service memo Approved House Wiring Inspection Report Pictures of the vicinity Pictures of tapping pole/pole number ii. For the installation of a multimeter instead of a mother meter, the following shall follow: 1. If the establishment owner refuses to install a mother meter under their name, the occupant applying for the electric connection needs to execute a tripartite agreement. 2. If the establishment owner does not submit an agreement, the CPD will automatically recommend a mother meter. iii. CPD shall evaluate the submitted approved electrical plan based on their declared load to compute the transformer requirement according to the following: 1. For transformer loading, the general recommendation is 80% of its total capacity. 2. Primary metering shall be implemented for consumers whose total connected load is 190 amperes and above, computed at 240v secondary. (Three or single-phase load). 3. For consumers whose total connected load is above 90 Amps and below 190 Amps, metering shall be at the secondary (three- or single-phase load). iv. CPD shall forward the approved Transformer Recommendation to the implementing office (TSD) for appropriate action. v. TSD shall inform the consumer of the progress of their request. vi. ASD shall update the Service Memo Database for the payment of the requisitioner/consumer as stated in the cost estimate; vii. TSD shall update the Service Memo Database on the progress of the activity. For strict compliance. 19 HUMPHREY A. DOLOR, PECE, MBA General Manager HR cc: OGM / FSD / ISD / TSD / ASD / CPD / IAD / PGD / HR 20