POWER Bloc member Padayon Pilipino Rep. Adriano E. Ebcas said several measures seeking to enhance the knowledge, skills, and working conditions of line workers in the power utility industry were approved by the House’ committee on Energy Tuesday. Ebcas said the bills authored by the Power Bloc representatives shall provide additional benefits for the linemen in the performance of their duty in another cooperative or private utility. House Committee on Energy, chaired by Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Macapagal-Arroyo, approved the substitute bills to House Bills 471, 472, and 3247. He said HB 471 aims to address the shortage of linemen by providing free training through the establishment of a “Lineman Training Academy of the Philippines. “We have to honor the invaluable contributions and to promote the interests of line workers,” said Ebcas. Ebcas said the Academy shall offer free training to qualified candidates to become skilled power linemen to construct, maintain, and operate the country's power grid. The bill also espouses the conduct of a national convention for linemen to further their knowledge on the latest trends concerning their profession which shall be conducted simultaneously on the date of the proposed declaration. “The academy envisioned to play a vital role in providing skills development training to meet the present challenges in the power industry,” said Ebcas. To honor the line workers, Ebcas said the HB 472 proposes to declare the first Monday of August every year as National Linemen Appreciation Day, in recognition of the efforts of utility line workers. Meanwhile, House Bill 3247 pushes for the mandatory insurance benefit and coverage of all lineworkers in the power industry, according to Ebcas. He said the measures apply to workers of private utilities and electric cooperatives. "The approval of the draft substitute bills and the committee reports thereon by the committee is an achievement for us,” said Energy committee vice-chair and PHILRECA Rep. Presley De Jesus adding that the Power Bloc Congressmen, as we can give the line workers in the country the appreciation they deserve for the betterment of the consuming public and the country," The Power Bloc is composed of Ebcas, De Jesus, APEC Rep. Sergio Dagooc, and RECOBODA Rep. Godofredo Guya. (Ben Balce)