BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved the request of Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong for the appropriation of some P18.7 million to purchase some 1,000 light emitting diode (LED) bulbs and fixtures to replace the busted high-pressure sodium bulbs in the different city barangays.
The local government decided to purchase the desired number of LED bulbs and fixtures to replace the busted streetlights in some 32 barangays after the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) turned over to the city the management of the over 8,701 streetlights installed all over the city last February.
City Engineer Edgar Victorio Olpindo informed local legislators that since BENECO turned over to the local government the maintenance of the streetlights, there were already more than 700 streetlight bulbs that were busted and need the appropriate replacement.
He explained the initial replacement of the busted streetlights to LED bulbs is part of the overall plan of the local government to replace all streetlights with LED bulbs which will take some time considering the need for at least P131 million to purchase the required number of LED bulbs to replace all the high-pressure sodium bulbs used in the city’s streetlight system.
Under the terms and conditions of the urgent purchase, the winning supplier of the LED bulbs and fixtures will be in charge of the maintenance of the said bulbs during the 5-year warranty period and whatever replacements of busted LED bulbs during the said period will be shouldered by the supplier.
The city engineer added based on the assessment of the city government’s technical personnel, it is still best for the city to use the LED bulbs and fixtures to replace the existing high-pressure sodium bulbs for efficient illumination of the barangays.
Earlier, the former members of the local legislative body passed Resolution No. 446, series of 2011 that approved the terms of reference for the replacement of all existing streetlights, park lights, including lights in overpasses, flyovers and city government owned buildings and facilities with LED bulbs, and repair and maintenance in a private-public partnership and a cost-saving share scheme.
Further, the local legislative body passed Resolution No. 087, series of 2013 that confirmed the memorandum of agreement entered into by the local government and BENECO on the repair, maintenance and management of the streetlights in the city.
Resolution No. 331, series of 2014 requested BENECO, Inc. to install all the necessary additional LED streetlights and its accompanying fixtures and to charge the power consumption thereof for free as part of the electric cooperative’s corporate social responsibility.
Lately, the council passed Resolution No. 023-B, series of 2019 that resolved that BENECO, Inc. distribute streetlights to the city’s barangays to ensure the proper illumination of unlighted areas in the different parts of the city to deter the commitment of crimes and help enhance the local government’s law and order campaign.
The local government will be subjecting the urgent purchase of LED bulbs and fixtures to the appropriate bidding process after the appropriation of the funds for the said purpose.
By Dexter A. See
Photo by Armando M. Bolislis
