STATE-RUN Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) has named Graciela M. Barleta as the energy firm’s officer-in-charge who will lead the entity until its board declares a new president.

Before her designation, Ms. Barleta served as PNOC’s senior vice-president for energy business.

She takes the place of Reuben S. Lista, who passed away on Aug. 31, while he was the company’s president and chief executive officer.

In an announcement posted on its website on Tuesday, PNOC said during a special board meeting on Sept. 3, the board of directors appointed Ms. Barleta as officer-in-charge (OIC) of the president and chief executive posts. It added that she will serve as OIC until the board elects its next leader.

PNOC was established in 1973 to provide and maintain a stable supply of oil. The firm has since then expanded to exploration activities related to indigenous oil and non-oil sources and ventured into petrochemicals when it set up the country’s first petrochemical industrial estate in Limay, Bataan.

On its website, the firm aims to “build an energy sector that will bring energy independence to the country.”

At present, PNOC’s upstream oil, gas and coal subsidiary, PNOC Exploration Corp., holds a 10% stake in the offshore Malampaya deepwater project. — Angelica Y. Yang

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