BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan requested the members of the Board of Directors of the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) to use the state-of-the-art and environmentally-friendly Light Emitting Diode (LED) in the planned installation of park lights around Burnham Park instead of the traditional high pressure sodium bulbs.
Domogan met with members of the BENECO board Friday to discuss the proposal of the electric cooperative to shoulder the cost of installing the over 111 high pressure sodium bulbs around the strategic areas in the park that had an earlier project cost of P3.9 million while the local government shall shoulder the over P30,000 monthly billing for the consumption of the additional lighting fixtures around the park.
However, BENECO officials and engineers said there will be a recompilation on the possible expenses to be incurred by the rural electric cooperative with the requested change in the bulbs to be used in the park lights from the traditional high pressure sodium bulbs to the state-of-the-art LED bulbs.
Based on the presentation made by Engr. Carlo Andres of the BENECO Network Services Department, some 100 poles will where the 111 bulbs will be installed will be erected around strategic areas around the park where there will be 4 metering areas that will record the consumption of the bulbs.
Another recommendation that will be considered by BENECO is for the erection of the poles above the trees to add more beauty to the park at night.
Domogan expressed his gratitude to the management and Board of Directors of the cooperative for offering to the local government such arrangement that will contribute in increasing the lighted portions of the park at night and reducing the expenses to be incurred by the city in the potential installation of all the poles and lighting fixtures within strategic areas around Burnham Park.
BENECO has always been a constant partner of the local government in the implementation of lighting projects around the city’s central business district area, premier parks and even in the different barangays that need lighting fixtures for streetlighting purposes.
BENECO engineers will determine the timetable for the realization of the project considering the replacement of the high pressure sodium bulbs to LED bulbs and the increase in the height of the poles that will be erected in the strategic areas around the park to host the bulbs to light up the city’s premier tourist destination.
The new LED bulbs that will be installed by BENECO around the park will eventually replace the old LED bulbs which were previously installed by the energy department during the present administration that never served its purpose considering that its potential illumination allegedly deteriorated through the years.
Domogan assured that the new LED bulbs that will be spent for by BENECO will not be unduly removed by the local government or other concerned agencies wanting to install additional lighting fixtures in the park contrary to what happened to the BENECO installed lighting fixtures in the past.
By Dexter A. See
