BAGUIO CITY – The Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) reported a significant increase in the number of its member-consumer-owners from 128,380 in 2018 to 132,643 last year.
Based on the data provided by BENECO’s Consumer Welfare Office (CWO), the number of consumers in Baguio City increased from 59,589 in 2018 to 61,624 last year while consumers in Benguet also increased from 70,748 in 2018 to 72,976 consumers last year.
BENECO is the franchise holder of power distribution in Baguio City and Benguet with its franchise expected to expire in 2028.
Baguio City, which is composed of 128 barangays, is divided into 6 districts while Benguet, which is divided into 140 barangays and 13 municipalities, is divided into 5 districts.
BENECO General Manger Gerardo P. Verzosa said that the continuous increase in the number of consumers in the franchise area of the rural electric cooperative is due to the implementation of the government’s Sitio Electrification Program (SEP) which forms part of its mandate to provide quality power to non-viable areas within its franchise area.
District I in Baguio City saw its consumers increase from 10,560 in 2018 to 10,839 members last year while District 2 consumers also increased from 14,887 in 2018 to 15,525 members last year.
Further, District 3 consumers registered an increase from 8,732 in 2018 to 9,001 consumers last year while District 4 recorded an increase in the number of consumers from 13,325 in 2018 to 13,956 consumers last year.
For District 5, the number of consumers increased from 5,840 in 2018 to 5,939 last year while District 6 registered an increase in its number of consumers from 6,245 in 2018 to 6,364 last year.
District 7 which covers the capital town of La Trinidad recorded an increase in the number of consumers from 17,521 in 2018 to 18,025 consumers last year while District 8 which covers the municipalities of Itogon, Bokod and Kabayan reported a similar increase in consumers from 15,772 in 2018 to 16,202 last year. For each municipality, Itogon saw an increase in the number of consumers from 10,828 in 2018, to 11,084 last year, Bokod registered consumers also increased from 2,742 in 2018 to 2,832 last year and Kabayan from 2,202 consumers in 2018 to 2,286 last year.
In District 9 that covers Sablan and Tuba, the number of consumers increased from 8,602 in 2018 to 8,993 consumers last year wherein Sablan was able to record an increase from 2,094 in 2018 to 2,182 in 2019 while Tuba also increased its consumers from 6,508 in 2018 to 6,811 in 2019.
District 10 which covers the towns of Atok, Kapangan, Kibungan and Tublay registered a similar increase in the number of consumers from 12,434 in 2018 to 12,849 last year wherein Atok reported its consumers to be at 2,819 in 2018 to 2,939 last year; Kapangan had 3,323 consumers in 2018 and 3,422 in 2019; Tublay recorded its consumers to be at 2,981 in 2018 to 3,099 last year while Kibungan also had 3,311 consumers in 2018 to 3,389 in 2019. District 11 which covers Buguias, Baku and Mankayan also registered increasing consumers from 14,462 in 2018 to 14,950 in 2019 wherein Buguias increased consumers from 7,099 in 2018 to 7,321 in 2019, Bakun had 2,222 consumers in 2018 that increased to 2,335 last year while Mankayan had 5,141 in 2018 and increased to 5,294 last year.
By HENT
Photo by Guilf Nadunop
