MANILA, Philippines ? Government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) that are losing money but performing "missionary" services should be exempted from any abolition plan by the new administration, a senator said on Thursday.

Senator Ralph Recto cited at least four government corporations ? the National Food Authority, National Electrification Administration, Local Water Utilities and Administration, and the Philippine Postal Corp. (Philpost).

"In purging non-performing GOCCs, we may have to take into account, albeit on a very limited basis, some state enterprises that were bestowed the unique mandate of delivering basic services to our people," said Recto.

?Not all GOCCs are there to make money but were chartered to make the lives of our people better,? he pointed out.

Recto said the NFA played a key role in stabilizing food supply such as rice, NEA engaged in energizing far-flung villages only reached by 'petromax' while LWUA delivered water services to areas where big business would not tread.

The Philpost, which delivers snail-mail for our Internet-resistant population, should also be allowed to continue its ?mission? even when it is losing money, said the senator.

But while pushing for the exemption of said GOCCs, Recto said executives of these government firms must shed their "indecent bonuses and perks to reduce the national guilt of exempting them from the purge."

Recto said the government may also have to continue operations of the Metro Rail Transit and Light Rail Transit despite their losses in exchange for providing efficient and cheap mass transportation system.

The Department of Finance has estimated the existence of at least 736 GOCCs, 14 of which were being closely watched or monitored for being heavily dependent on subsidy or advances from the government.

At least 52 of these GOCCs, the DOF said, registered losses in 2008 with the NFA posting the highest net loss followed by Light Trail Transit Authority, National Power Corporation, Bases Conversion Development Authority and Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System.

Meanwhile, Recto said some crucial functions and manpower complement of GOCCs that might be abolished could be folded to existing departments and agencies to mine their experience and skills.

He said employees of GOCCs who would not be absorbed by other money-making GOCCs or departments should be paid with handsome severance packages.

"Let's give them what is due to them and even allow them to continue working in other government agencies," Recto added.